November 14, 2025
Dear Hossein,
Rita and I are doing well.
Confidential: I had follow-up tests this week on my heart procedure and the results were quite positive. It appears the heart ablation procedure was a complete success. To confirm that, I will wear a heart monitor for two days in December and hopefully the results of that will be similarly positive. The really good news is that my energy continues to increase since the procedure. I had begun to think that my working/writing days were nearing an end, but since the procedure I have experienced quite a surge in energy and productivity.
Thank you for your detailed description of how the funds raised during Golrizan week are distributed and used across Congress 60. This system seems to be working very well both for the branches and for the overall support of Congress 60. I think your policy of avoiding credit is a very wise one. There are addiction treatment programs here in the U.S. that managed that irresponsibly, which led to their downfall. Your policy assures that money raised to support Congress 60 goes to support its primary mission and not consumed by interest paid to some outside financial institution. To have been financially self-sufficient these past 27 years is a remarkable achievement of which all Congress 60 members should be proud.
Here in the U.S., most addiction treatment and recovery community organizations have become quite dependent upon government funding which renders them quite vulnerable to government influence and vulnerable to sudden cuts in government funding, which is happening now here in my country. With current cuts in treatment services and research grants, many organizations are having to reduce their staff and some organizations are even closing. That is the cost of being overly dependent upon outside sources.
The latest paper I am working on is focused on the potential for flourishing in addiction recovery. It is based on my observation of people who have overcome addiction and gone on to live remarkable lives of personal fulfillment and community contribution. The stigma attached to addiction often creates a low bar of expectation for people who have recovered. What I am exploring in the paper is the potential for high levels of happiness and achievement in recovery, due not to the experience of addiction, but to the strength (knowledge, skills, values, relationships, and physical and emotional health) developed through the recovery process. There is no better exemplar of this than the achievements of so many members of Congress 60. I am also working with Dr. David Best on a couple of papers. You will recall some of our early conversations with him in hopes he could do some work with Congress 60.
Dr. Sarapas will be submitting our final revised Congress 60 manuscript this week to Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. I have every expectation that it will be accepted for publication. I will keep you informed on its status.
Fall has arrived in the U.S. and many communities are experiencing the first snow of the year. Here in Florida, we are even seeing cooler temperatures. Rita and I continue to pursue our daily walks.
Please extend my warmest regards and best wishes to your family and to all members of Congress 60.
Friends and Brothers Forever,