Addiction Free Forever Segment topic: The root cause and permanent solution for an alcohol or drug problem Q. What is the root problem of a person who abuses alcohol or drugs? A. Not being happy naturally Q. What is the root cause of the problem? A. Not being in harmony with their true nature…giving up their true nature because of pressure and training from other people. And all this might be totally subconscious at this point. But that makes another problem: the “homing instinct” and negative feedback from their body and life will try to cause a person to be in harmony with their true nature…which doesn’t include an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Then the person makes a choice: to obey others…or their true nature. If “others” is chosen, drugs and alcohol are used to try to drown out the homing instinct. Yes, drugs and alcohol can also be chosen for a joy ride, but if they become a problem, normal sensitivity will stop using them. The problem with an addiction is the person doesn’t have the strength and peace to be able to stop. And only being in harmony with our true nature gives us that strength and peace. We don’t have the power to simply will those into existence. So the obvious solution to all of this is: a person getting into harmony with their true nature, and then being able to stand up to others who would try to influence them away from their true nature…or they can just connect with different “others”. Part 1 of that solution requires two things: knowing the specifics of what their true nature is…and how to transform to it. (The quickest way to get out of darkness is to turn on the light). My program shows a person how to know those specifics…which is a design that can’t be changed or debated with. And it’s important to note that the current American culture is very out of harmony with that design (especially when it comes to sex)…which is why the social statistics are so bad and the addiction rate so high. Host: We’re going to take a short break right now, but when we come back, Dennis is going to give us what he says is THE permanent solution for addictions. (Possibly play my music in and out of the break. Samples of it can be heard at www.DennisMarcellino.com) Q. So then what is the solution that you found that cured your own addictions 24 years ago after 18 years of use? A. There’s a lot I can say, but the shortcut here is: completely follow the Bible to the letter and God’s Spirit within us. That’s an objective truth as to what works in breaking free from addictions…not based on belief or faith. But because of the many misconceptions and misrepresentations surrounding the Bible, part of my program consists of exercises that PROVE that the Bible is true, plus exercises for how to see and hear God’s Spirit within us. I don’t ask anyone to “believe” anything (including me). They need to base their confidence on reality, not wishful thinking. But I can guarantee (because God guarantees, and based on my own experience and the experience of many others) that the sooner they get that confidence, that’s the sooner they will be on to a naturally happy and deeply fulfilling life, where alcohol and drugs will mostly be too harsh of experiences to want to put ourselves through. That’s the shortcut, and if I really want to help people, I can’t let political correctness cause me to hide that truth. I mean, if I were to quote Socrates or Gandhi, the schools and media wouldn’t have a problem. But if I quote Jesus there’s this “walking on eggshells”, closed-minded climate. But isn’t it odd that we can’t quote the most influential person in human history, whom even the way the years are counted are divided by his birth. That’s a strange censorship that shouldn’t be…because out of the 21 approaches to lifestyle, problem solving and personal growth that I tried, the Bible objectively had the greatest advice and wisdom and was the only thing that worked in ridding me of addictions and giving me a deeply fulfilling life. Also it needs to be recognized that we're paying a BIG price in this country by being "politically correct" and shutting the Bible out of the mainstream, which has led to rampant meth use, STD's, addictions, etc. And anyway I scientifically and logically prove in my book Why Are We Here? that the Bible is a book of truth. . We also have to keep in mind here what the overall meaning and purpose of this life is…that is: viewing life from the “ultimate perspective”. That is the context within which we are living. And I prove what all that is about in my book Why Are We Here? (A couple of sample proofs: history [“words/works’], prophesies, intelligent design). My program also includes a lot of great tips for how to get through withdrawal, as well as gives exercises for a person to totally evaluate the inner and outer life they now have, and the inner and outer life they’d like to have. It then shows how to transform from the one to the other. Q. Where can people get your book and program? A. The program can only be found at www.AddictionFreeForever.com. But the book can be purchased at any bookstore, either physical or online. But if it’s purchased at www.AddictionFreeForever.com there are two extra free bonuses that a person gets with it.

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Click here for Sample Intros for introducing Dennis on your show (one short and one long) Bulleted, Dramatic, Personal Show Segment Idea (In chronological order) • Normal growing up in San Francisco in the ‘50s and early ‘60s. • Married and went to college in 1965 at age 17 • Became a musician, then a hippie with a famous music career (Sly & The Family Stone, The Electric Flag, and The Elvin Bishop Group) • Used drugs (all kinds) and alcohol for 18 years • Had a number of “bad trips”, including one that landed his first wife in a mental hospital and cost him his marriage. • Became an alcoholic to cover the pain and agoraphobia from bad drug experiences and “free love” (that is, sex outside of marriage). • Sought help in many forms of psychology, with psychiatrists, in Scientology, (21 different approaches to lifestyle, problem solving and personal growth in all) but nothing worked…including the “willpower/behavior modification” and 12 Step “higher power” approaches. • Decided on suicide in 1980 (a miracle stopped him) • Following the Bible did work…and has for 24 years • He says he’s not a “recovering” alcoholic or drug user …he’s an EX alcoholic and drug user. He says that alcohol and drugs are just too harsh for his level of sensitivity now and therefore not enjoyable. • He’s been living a life of deep fulfillment and great purpose for 24 years now…which has been manifesting as a writer, speaker, media personality and musician. Dennis Marcellino 503-650-8840

More AFF media Q&A’s

Q. So then what is your permanent solution for an alcohol or drug problem?

A. It’s based on knowing how to get in complete harmony with the Natural Design of your being…because doing that produces the peace, strength and deep fulfillment that are necessary to be able to WANT to say no to drugs and alcohol. And once a person is in harmony, alcohol and drugs will probably even become repulsive to them.

And part of that Natural Design includes what has been called a “God-void”. That is, who and what do we look up to…and whose advice do we take? What I discovered in my 40 years of searching through 21 different approaches to personal growth, problem solving and lifestyle is that the best thing to fill the God void is…God. But not just a nebulous “higher power”. I took that approach for many years and it didn’t work. By “work” I mean, it didn’t give me the peace, strength and clarity I needed to be deeply fulfilled and not susceptible to alcohol or drugs. I still felt like something was missing. That “missing” turned out to be what I’m now describing as the greatest SHORTCUT to getting “peace, strength, clarity and deep fulfillment”. And that “shortcut” is: completely follow the instructions in the Bible for how to operate our inner and outer lives.

Q. So then why do people need your program? Didn’t you just give them the final answer?

A. People…even Christians…don’t usually really follow the Bible to the letter. They usually don’t understand the Bible…or understand God’s plan…or know how to hear God’s Spirit within them. They often have just a surface relationship with God, and that won’t work. So my program teaches all of those things.

It also gives a person a very strong confidence that God exists and the Bible is true, as well as a VERY thorough understanding of God and their relationship with Him. That confidence is what gives them the strength and resolve…and even a great joy and excitement… to carry out what the Bible says. They’ll know that they are in reality when they are doing so…and a lot of what goes on in the world will start looking more and more shallow and unfulfilling.

Q. You hear recently that 1-2 glasses of wine per day is good for your heart? How does that fit in with your view of alcohol?

A. When I speak of getting in harmony with the Natural Design of your body and heart, part of that means being sensitive to and responding to EVERY message that comes from them. So if alcohol burns your throat and doesn’t taste good, that is your body saying “no” to alcohol. Or if any drugs or alcohol make you throw up (which often happens during first uses) that is your body saying “no” to drugs or alcohol.

But my program doesn’t just ask a person to say “no” to things without getting a person to fulfill the things that their body and heart want to say “yes” to. That becomes a process of removing blocks and knowing how to say yes in the way that is in harmony with the Natural Design.

Q. On your media web page it says that you are a “personal growth expert”. What makes you a personal growth expert?

A. Well I’ve pretty much been through it all…spending the last 40 years in 21 different approaches to personal growth, lifestyle and problem solving…and now I’ve found what ultimately works and what doesn’t, and what the SHORTCUTS are. By “shortcuts” I mean: the quickest ways to solutions. And the best shortcut that I’ve found is to just do what the Bible says and then see that it works.

I know that might not be a politically correct thing to say, but that’s unfortunate because following the Bible really does work better than anything else…any form of psychology (and I was into many of them) or new age or Scientology or hypnosis or eastern practices, etc.

I mean it’s funny that if I were to quote Gandhi or Socrates or Freud there wouldn’t be a problem, but if I quote the Bible there kicks in this strange stigma. But that stigma shouldn’t be with something that offers the greatest solutions for personal problems and societal problems (by the mainstream standing for the Biblical solutions, like it used to in this country). So because of that, a mission of mine is to soften up the stance against the Bible in the mainstream. I think that can be done by keeping it objective and not preachy.

Q. Why did you write this book?

A. Addiction Free Forever is the book that I wish I had when I was searching for solutions to my problems, what THE truth is and the optimum ways to live.

Q. It is often the case that a person will stop one addiction and just replace it with another. Why is that…and is there a way to stop all addictions?

A. The reason why that is can be illustrated with the classic picture of the Dutch boy standing at the dam that has a leak and trying to stop the leak by plugging it up with his finger. But then when he does, another leak springs up and he then plugs it up with another finger. Eventually he runs out of fingers and another leak happens. The problem here is that there is a lot of water pressure behind the dam. And the solution is to lessen the pressure. In the case of addictions, I call that pressure the “compulsive fire”. Therefore my program shows how to put out that fire once and for all. And that has worked for 24 years with me now, after 18 years of addictions.

Q. How can you "guarantee" permanent recovery?

A. Well, the program is based on Biblical principles, where God guarantees certain results if we do the things that He says. So basically it is God who is doing the guaranteeing. (As is spelled out in the Bible verses in the excerpt from my book, listed below…a few of which I can quote on air). I’m just reporting what God said and promised.

Therefore, either the guarantee is real…or the Bible isn’t true.

But I prove that the Bible IS true in my book Why Are We Here? and in its workbook.

Q. How do you prove those things?

A. Well it takes me half of a 308 page book plus a workbook to prove this. So I’m not going to be able to prove this to you right now. But people can get those proofs in my books at Amazon or a bookstore, or they’ll get bonuses if they buy it at my website, which is: www.AddictionFreeForever.com.

But let me say one of the proofs: All supernatural occurrences in human history …that have been proven by a number of scientists …to break the laws of nature …are tied to the Bible in some way. There is nothing outside of a Biblical tie that can make that claim. (Also mention Dr. Hovind’s million dollar evolution challenge and The Amazing Randi’s $1.2 million paranormal challenge). And here’s a teaser thought about Intelligent Design: I was planting another cherry tree in my backyard because we can’t get any fruit unless there are two trees and bees to carry pollen from one to another. And while doing that, the thought hit me: in the process of cross-pollination, who designed and implemented that…the tree or the bee? But neither of them has intelligence, so how could they? Therefore there had to be an outside intelligence designing, creating and coordinating that. And that thought is just one small part of the argument for Intelligent Design, which itself is just a small part of only one of the 10 areas of proof that I cite in my book.

Q. There are Christians who are addicted. Why doesn’t God’s guarantee work for them?

A. Well, they obviously aren’t fully understanding and living out the Bible’s advice…which I show how to do in my program…both experientially and intellectually.

Q. What about non-Christians…can this program work for them?

A. If you mean ‘without taking on the New Testament’, being that I’ve never been Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist I can’t say for sure. It could possibly work for a Jewish person because following the Old Testament laws can create a perfectly ordered life (if someone could fully do that) and Jews can still be under the Old Testament covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendents (which BTW would also include Muslims). But they would work for sure if the New Testament verses were taken on too. I did try the Hindu way and many other psychology and secular ways and none of them worked.

Q.Will this program work for any addiction?

A. Yes. Food, sex, pornography, sports, cigarettes, gambling, etc. But each of those requires their own customized workbook to go along with most of the already existing material for the program.

Q. How expensive is this program?

A. Less than the cost of one visit to a therapist. And picking a therapist is always a gamble for the first visit anyway. And they don’t have any guarantees or make any promises. So I say that a person will save themselves a lot of trouble and expense if they just start with this program.

But this program not only cures addictions, it also leads a person to the best life possible for them. So it will be a major upgrade no matter what their circumstances.

Q. What makes you say that other programs can’t guarantee success and yet this one does?

A. For one, I’ve tried many of the other approaches and they weren’t successful. I tried a number of psychologists, psychiatrists, the 12-step “higher power” approach, many new age approaches, experimental and pop psychology approaches, Scientology, etc. None of them worked. But the approach that I’m putting forth here did…not only for me, but for many others.

(Excerpt from my book that show God’s promises to people who follow Him)

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” But the “rest” only comes when we make Jesus the leader of our life and follow His words to the letter (“learn from me”). Not until I did those things did I find “rest”.

“Blessed be the Lord, who has heard the sound of my pleading. The Lord is my strength and my protector, in whom my heart trusted and found help. So my heart rejoices.” (Psalm 28:6-7) I personally can testify that that is true and what happened to me. But it can’t just be an immediate response to a prayer to a “higher power”. It has to eventually lead to discovering that “trusting” in following the Bible to the letter is where the “help” is, and giving the reins of our life to Jesus and the Holy Spirit is what causes the “strength”.

“Cast your care upon the Lord, who will give you support. God will never allow the righteous to stumble.” (Psalm 55:23)

Philippians 4:6 “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

“So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast ALL your worries upon him because he cares for you.” (1Peter 5:6-7)

This, plus “Have no anxiety* at all” means “cast” and then don’t hang on to them. But do act on them, as the Holy Spirit puts it on your heart and mind to. Don’t expect God to do everything. And not only is ‘making things happen and opening doors in the world’ parts of His doing (which are often the expectations of prayers), but also, inspiring and prompting you and instructing you through the Bible are parts of His doing. (*I mean if a person has ANY anxiety it means that they don’t fully trust or understand God. This understanding can be had through Why Are We Here?).

Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.”

And think about what a great deal that Jesus is offering. He’s saying that we can just forget about worrying about anything. All we have to do is do what He says, both in the Bible and through a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit within us. That is a TREMENDOUS bargain in this life…which I took Him up on 24 years ago, and He hasn’t let me down since. He makes that same offer to you. And only you can mess that up. He never will.

And regarding the Holy Spirit and how we should view the world, Jesus said in John 14:26-27, “the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name —he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

“We know that ALL things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“Consider it ALL joy.” (James 1:2)

“Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1Thessalonians 5:18)

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall lack.” (Psalm 23:1)

Another important point is: if the Bible isn’t true, then there is no basis for being able to rely on an invisible* power for help, which is what anybody is doing if they pray or call on God in a time of need. That’s why it’s important to prove that the Bible is true. (*By the way, in my book Why Are We Here? I show that although God might be “invisible” – that is, can’t be accessed by our eyes – He is accessible and provable through other senses, including indirectly with our eyes.)

I could go on and on with great Bible verses (which I hope that I’ve inspired you to check out for yourself), but here is one last one:

James 1:5-9, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways. The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing.”

Proverbs 10:28-30 “The hope of the just brings them joy, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nought. The LORD is a stronghold to him who walks honestly, but to evildoers, their downfall. The just man will never be disturbed”.

And finally Jesus said that the only way you’re really going to know if his way works is to TRY what he said to do: John 7:17, “Whoever chooses to do God’s will shall know whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own.”

Some more AFF media Q&A’s

Q. Why does the mainstream have a problem with mentioning Jesus? I mean, no one would have a problem with me mentioning Socrates or Gandhi or Martin Luther King. Yet to not investigate the writings of Jesus is to not investigate the most important writings in human history by the most dominant person in history. As evidence of His dominance, even the way the years are counted are divided by His birth. So then why is there this peculiar censorship?

A. Christianity can be proven, it makes sense, and it works.

By not objectively and fully investigating the cosmological realities we don't just have separation of church and state, we have separation of truth and state. And that truth is the most important of all truths.

One person wrote in to me:
“Well, the interesting thing is that the existence of God doesn't *need* to be proven to the 90% in the US who already believe. The problem, the way I see it, is that the 10% who don't believe are in control of the liberal media and our schools, and are deliberately blocking efforts to underline the value and strength of Christianity.”

I answered:
But really, if you look at the way that the 90% votes (actually I've seen between 96 and 97% over the last 10 years), they really are in sympathy with the other 10% in a lot of ways. Therefore, the critical thing becomes not the "existence" of God, but rather the "nature" of God. When that is taken into consideration, then the 90% shrinks way down to a "narrow gate" that Jesus said only "few" will travel through. Therefore, I see my work more as being to prove that the Bible is true (which is easy to do because I, as Charles Mingus said, "make the complicated simple"). Then through the Bible we get a glimpse into what God expects of us and what His plan is and what it takes to be able to join Him in Heaven. "Few" have that understanding and live it out. So that's why I work to get that understanding out. It's really a beautiful story, but few really know it in great detail. Most are (as the phrase has been said) "Cafeteria Christians"...choosing a little of this but none of that. Believing in God but not following His ways is like having been given a basketball and a court but not knowing the rules of how to play the game...or like having musical instruments but not knowing how to play them. No pleasurable music will be made in that way...and the maker of the instruments might even get mad that his creations are being misused (especially when they are used as weapons).

Here's an interesting set of verses that shows some of God's stances and motives:

Isaiah 66:1-5 "Thus says the LORD: The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me; what is to be my resting place? My hand made all these things when all of them came to be, says the LORD."

(In other words, what can we really ultimately do for God who made everything? He says what we can do in the next verse)

"This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and afflicted man who trembles at my word."

"Merely slaughtering an ox is like slaying a man; sacrificing a lamb, like breaking a dog’s neck; Bringing a cereal offering, like offering swine’s blood; burning incense, like paying homage to an idol. Since these have chosen their own ways and taken pleasure in their own abominations, I in turn will choose ruthless treatment for them and bring upon them what they fear. Because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened; Because they did what was evil in my sight, and chose what gave me displeasure, Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: Your brethren who, because of my name, hate and reject you, (i.e. the "10%") say, Let the LORD show his glory that we may see your joy”; but they shall be put to shame."

(The bold text in the last paragraph explains things like Hurricane Katrina in an area with a lot of casinos, a decadent Mardi Gras and the largest gay festival in North America [the Decadence Festival was scheduled the weekend the hurricane hit. With over 100,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender participants the previous year, the economic impact on the city was estimated to be in excess of $95 million. Mayor Ray Nagin gave an Official Proclamation to welcome the event.]).

Q. Are you totally against alcohol and drugs…or do you see any benefits that can be gotten from mild use of them?

A. Well, the Bible says that God gives us “wine to gladden our hearts” (Psalm 104:15). Also, for me they made me realize how hyper and “spinning wheels” I was…and how much better “peace” felt. But I did also find out that a lot of bad things can and did happen if I tried to rely on alcohol or drugs for that peace…which is why the Bible also warns against drunkenness…even forbidding it, saying that drunkards will not go to Heaven (1Cor. 6:10).

So the combination of loving the peace (which mild alcohol and drug use introduced me to) and the fear of bad repercussions MOTIVATED me to get into personal growth so as to have the peace naturally. And that was a very good thing.

And even Native Americans used marijuana in their religious ceremonies and called it the “peace pipe”…much like Catholics use wine in the Mass. BTW, there is a heavy stigma and illegality regarding marijuana, but I see it as being a lot less dangerous than alcohol, which IS legal. And of course prescription pills are even more potent than marijuana. So if alcohol and prescription pills are going to be legal, why isn’t marijuana? Personally I’m not sure if none of them should be illegal or if all of them should be because of how much they all are so heavily abused. I personally don’t use any of them, but rather prefer the natural route and staying in touch with any imperfections within me, so that the less-than-pleasant results of imperfections will help motivate me to seek to get rid of them and to work towards that end. But I do notice that the Bible (which is my bible :-) says that mild use is okay but heavy use isn’t, and that regarding wine (and food and other things that God has given us) “For the good all these are good, but for the wicked they turn out evil.” (Sirach 39:27).