CHAPTER SEVEN
(beginning only)
The least sophisticated and most outdated understanding of the body . . . is probably the one your doctor has. Certainly it is complicated. It's too complicated to make any sense. And it's practically useless in recovery. Doctors are way out in left field, and addiction is a pinch-hitter that bunts. If current medical theory is so great, why can't doctors -- who know this theory best -- keep themselves out of addiction? Consider this statistic, reported in the New York Times:
The state Commission of Investigation estimated that up to 16 percent of the 29,000 medical and osteopathic doctors licensed to practice in New Jersey may have drug or alcohol problems. According to the report, the medical society testified that 10 percent of New Jersey's doctors may be alcoholic, 3 percent may be addicted to drugs and 3 percent may be "psychotic, mentally ill" or otherwise impaired.
We need an understanding of the body that lets us deal with
the immediate problem of an addictive lifestyle and an addictive environment.
We need a new way of looking at the body. The model of the physiology
presented in this chapter is simple, accurate, powerful, and useful. It
enables us to create vibrant health and free ourselves from craving. In
the description that follows, you will get a glimpse of how the body really
works. You will be introduced to the basic concepts and vocabulary of
ayurveda. This is a primer on perfect health...
