I've been reading your stuff for awhile now. I come from a kind of high-activity, well-educated "question authority" family who has avoided this stuff, but it's interesting/weird how it affects so many. Just finished "9 Perfect Strangers" and was thinking the formula is "a, b, and c are good, so why not d, e, and f", where often a=healthy food, b=oneness w nature, c=exercise, then d=believe only the leader, e=some drugs and coercion, and f=some kind of sexual or other exploitation. My brood is now grown and largely avoided this also. My formula (not exactly a secret):

1) Healthy diet, more fruits/veggies

2) Lots of activity/exercise

3) Healthy relationship of parents/kids

4) No smoking/drinking (ie ambition is best drug, tough guys don't need crutches)

(This is where it gets tricky)

5) Open mind/logic based learning

6) Body hurts-physical therapy, Mind hurts-cognitive behavioral (ie try to avoid chiropractors and therapists). If you have anxiety do TM or take power naps, depression keep yourself busy.

7) QUESTION AUTHORITY!! If someone claims to know they don't! The Socratic humility of wisdom is in play here!!!

Also funny how in old school farm culture, everything was chores...and it worked! I notice now in "rehab" how they break everyone down by doing menial tasks (kind of like military basic training).

Anyway, thanks for your various exposes, truly a community service!