Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to another edition of WWB. This week, I'd like to make a challenge to you for next week. I'd like to expand the readers on this list again. While all the past editions can be read on the recently launched website, www.atlas4wellness.com, I'd like to expand the weekly email readership. So, my challenge to you is to give me some email addresses. I know many of you forward this on to others, so you are welcome to continue doing that. But by all means, let's continue to get the word out about Upper Cervical Care (and well-being, in general).

Positive Mental Attitude

First up this week is a discussion about staying mentally positive. I have recently been re-reading Napoleon Hill's excellent book "The 17 Principles to Success" and his discussion on PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) is quite the read. He writes that "At birth you arrive figuratively clutching two sealed envelopes. One is labeled "rewards" and the other "penalties." The first contains a list of all the benefits you will enjoy from taking possession of your own mind and using it to get what you want. The second carries a list of consequences that will befall you if you neglect controlling your mind and directing it toward a worthwhile goal." - Napoleon Hill suggests you read that and re-read that over and over again.

Prefacing this discussion Hill's talk about having a purpose and setting goals. So, I challenge everyone to make a goal for the rest of the month. It doesn't have to be an outrageous goal, but make it something attainable but challenging. Anyhow, there are many rewards for having a PMA. Success (both financially and emotionally), peace of mind, awesome relationships, a well-balanced life, wisdom...that's just to name a few. It goes back to choice: you can choose to be whoever you want to be. You can react and act however you choose to. There is a quote by Lou Holtz that I use as the signature of each of my emails and Hill's writings reinforce the notion that perception is reality, so it's how you react to what happens in life (and not what happens itself) that determines your outcomes. The outcomes of those with positive attitudes seem to be more favorable than those with negative attitudes, don't they? Such is why you should avoid the negative attitude. Negative attitude carries with it thoughts of fear and frustration. As a mentor of mine often says, "What you think about, you bring about." If you think negative, you attract negativity into your life. The same is true of PMA.

Once you start down the road to PMA, it's contagious. It's like an addiction to something AWESOME...

Anti-Addiction Drugs (the latest trick)

Speaking of addictions, there's a new drug hitting the market that is designed to help you overcome addictions. Call it the most recent example of drug companies taking over the world :)

Consumers beware! This drug, nor any other, addresses the cause of addictions. There are many components to addictions, but one thing is for certain: the answer to overcoming addiction is NOT medication. Question for you to consider: no matter what the potential addiction, what is the difference between being addicted to XYZ and taking daily a medication to stop XYZ?

Condition of the Week: Addictions

My goal is to get you to understand than no matter what condition you can come up with, getting your body functioning properly through removing irritation to the brainstem and, thus, restoring the normal function of the body will be of GREAT BENEFIT!!! Every healthcare professional will agree that addictions have several components. Nearly all agree that it is a disorder of the brain. Others will argue a behavioral and even spiritual component. I'm not one to deny any of those. You may have heard people refer to those with addictions as people who "aren't wired right." Well, consider that they are wired just fine, but that their "wires" may not be sending the right messages. I've mentioned before that the brain is essentially another organ under control of the brainstem. The brainstem is formed before the brain, in utero. Babies are occasionally born without a brain, but by having a brainstem they are able to survive for a period of time.

The brain has several sections and dozens of sub-sections responsible for millions of functions throughout the body. But it, essentially, still an organ. Without the brainstem routing the brain's messages to the body, the brain is no more than a major airport WITHOUT an air control tower. So, the brain sends signals to the brainstem...and many of those messages (by many we're talking trillions) are routed from one section or sub-section of the brain to another. If there is a misalignment to one of the top two bones of your neck, placing a stress on your brainstem that distorts those routed signals, it can be a major hurdle for overcoming addictions. How would it NOT be a major hurdle in overcoming addictions? While not a "cure" for addiction, Upper Cervical care is necessary to remove the irritation to the brainstem that causes the distorted signals from one part of the brain to another.

Thinking good things for you all...

-Dr. Chad