May 22, 2024
Dear Hossein,
Warm greetings from Southwest Florida where we are experiencing the hottest month of May on record in a state whose leadership continues to deny the reality of human-influenced climate change even as temperatures rise, hurricanes become more frequent and destructive, and flooding events from heavy rains increase. In spite of such circumstances, Rita and I continue to find the sweet spots of our lives, including the blessings of friendship with you and the Congress 60 family.
I appreciate the research updates you provide in each of your emails. The collaboration of the amphetamine, fentanyl, and opium studies with the Pasteur Institute Research Center are particularly noteworthy, and I look forward to your continued reports on the results you are finding and your related publication efforts.
Your email sparked my thinking about the future of addiction recovery research. I think we must make important discoveries within each of the realms of physiology, psychology, sociology, and spirituality (worldview), and then find ways to combine and sequence these breakthroughs in ways that generate the best recovery outcomes for individuals and families. In each of these realms, what we are ultimately looking for is actionable discoveries that make a real difference in people’s lives—findings that can guide personal decisions across the stages of long-term addiction recovery. As you suggest, it is not enough to discover the epigenic pathways into addiction; we must discover through such studies the pathways out of addiction and the involved processes and stages and how these might differ from person to person.
I also agree with you that exploring commonalities in the recovery processes between addiction and other chronic disorders is quite promising. In that regard, I am interested in how AIDS evolved from an inevitably progressive and fatal disorder to a chronic but manageable health condition. In particular, how single drug interventions could not alter the course of AIDS but combinations of medications and psychosocial supports radically altered the history of AIDS. I don’t think there is any program that has more effectively combined and sequenced potent ingredients of addiction treatment and recovery support than Congress 60. Each element adds effects, but when time-limited medication support via the DST method, rebuilding the body via physical activities and improved nutrition, psychological support for the individual and family, reconstruction of worldview, and cultivation of esthetic sensitivities via music, art, theatre, etc. are all combined, the effects can be transformative and far beyond what any single element could produce. How all of these elements are combined and so smoothly integrated into a vibrant culture of recovery is what I most value about Congress 60.
As for the future of smoking policies within Congress 60 and whether all members should be compelled to quickly commence smoking cessation after joining Congress 60, I don’t think we have a clear answer yet from the standpoint of science. We know smoking cessation enhances recovery outcomes for other addictions, reduces smoking-related disease and deaths among people in recovery, and enhances quality of life, but the best timing of smoking cessation has simply not been studied enough to know if cessation should begin immediately at recovery initiation or some time later in the process. If you were to initiate a policy such as a requirement that each new Congress 60 member must join the William White Legion within 60 days, you might consider doing this on a trial basis and then evaluating its effects before implementing it permanently.
As an update, I have heard back from Dr. Galanter. He is not able to work with us at present due to the number of other studies he is now leading, but I have some other ideas about how we might proceed in moving a potential study forward. In one of my next communications, I will try to outline this in some detail to get your ideas about it.
Please extend my warmest regards to your family and to all members of Congress 60.
Friends and Brothers Forever,
Bill
PS Thank you for sharing the video of the musical performance, which I found quite enjoyable.