With the roaring uprise of internet health sites, nutritional information, and self-help books, it’s easy to see why people are now attempting total self-reliance in the fight against all chronic conditions. Combine this trend with the tarnished reputation of western medicine and pharmaceutical sales tactics and it becomes obvious why people do not always look first to doctors anymore.  Add in the fact that private insurance companies have made it impossible for your doctor to sit with you for more than 5 minutes,  and the whole picture of total self-reliance becomes crystal clear.  

        Many aspects of this trend have been very beneficial.  Without the safety net of an available, trustworthy doctor or affordable health insurance, many people have taken their own health into their hands by eating great and becoming ultra-fit.  I’m an ever growing enthusiast and advocate of fitness training and am always looking for the next level of total body balance, power, and control.  I understand the vital importance of physical self-reliance.  However, not to minimize the benefit but rather to expand the conversation to the next level, I’d like to share with you a darker side of becoming totally self-reliant.

       Allow me to demonstrate how someone can hurt themselves using logic while all alone:

Premise #1:    With the aid of the internet, I now have all the information that any doctor has ever had access to. I can easily research all available treatments that have ever been used for acne. I also now have the power to research the biochemistry, mechanism of action, and side effects of all medications.

Premise #2:   Acne that has not resolved after years of proper attempts with every prescription, non-prescription, nutritional, and holistic treatment available on the internet must be untreatable.

Premise #3:    I still have active acne and am sure that I have properly tried everything this world has to offer.

Therefore:    My acne must be untreatable.

      Although there are many flaws in the premises of this logical argument, countless people have strongly held this false belief.  (Premise #2 is the biggest mistaken thought)

         The extreme of Doctoring oneself often leads to a “final” medical conclusion that is often times pessimistic and incorrect.  There is no room for a second opinion when someone is consulting with themselves.

       Every medical student is taught on their first day of medical school that they “should not act as their own doctor”  Why do you think medical schools teach this important lesson?   It’s not just for emergency situations.  When it comes to frustrating chronic conditions, there is a lot of emotion involved.  Hightened emotional states are known for clouding judgement.  (Have you ever needed to rush to buy a car or get a new apartment without warning or preparation?  There are risks to making decisions while emotional)

      The same is true for chronic acne treatment.  You get some new bumps, get upset, then make treatment decisions without consulting anyone who is unemotional about the situation.  This cycle repeats itself over and over until the faulty conclusion of pessimism is reached.

       I offer the Home Version here for people in and outside New York to fix their own persistent acne problem.  Due to the inherit risk of self-doctoring while emotional, I have decided to make myself available to help with emotional support and detailed use of the system.   Not surprisingly, many people will enter this program and choose not to use this email assistance.  

Why would someone pay a significant amount of money, have difficulty, and then not ask for free,  convenient assistance from the doctor who brought them the program???

The answer is because they have already made their ”final medical conclusion” about both their own case and their new treatment.  Pessimism and extended self-reliance are the real root cause of chronic failure in any challenging situation of life.   (Painfully witnessing this phenomenon for years drove me to make this video gallery)

For anyone who still lives in a wary cloud of pessimism, try to embrace the simple yet effective logic of this argument:

Premise #1    Acne has been proven to be treatable.  

(Every acne textbook around the world considers acne to be both treatable and preventable.  Our video gallery clearly shows that even severe, stubborn cases are also treatable without oral medications)

Premise #2    You have acne. 

Therefore:    Your Acne is totally Treatable!!   

be well, 

-Dr. Neal

©2008 “Have you become your own Doctor??”   by Dr. Neal Schwartz

       In our Services section, you can find a description of the different programs we offer at The Acne Practice.  Here’s the page:   http://www.acnepractice.com/services/

       The main advantage of the “Long Distance Program” is support on the phone and the power of establishing a real patient/practitioner relationship in the office.  This power is especially important when dealing with a chronic condition that is emotionally charged.

      The Home version uses email support from Dr. Neal himself to get people through this difficult struggle.  Those who can take focused close-up photos and have the ability to ask for help will always succeed here.

      While some of the major side effects of Oral Medications have been debated in the literature, there is no doubt that Oral Isotretinoin makes some people’s skin more sensitive for many years.  This sensitivity can manifest in a dramatic fashion that sometimes rivals the stress of acne itself.  Some people experience facial redness and flushing with the slightest sun exposure, spicy foods, mild nervousness, or facial cleansing.  

      The trickiest part of this new situation is that the oral medication doesn’t always take care of the prior oiliness and acne.  With the new skin hypersensitivity, fighting off this continued oil becomes much more difficult because any facial product can trigger the redness and flushing.  A patient is often left with a decision to either remain oily and full of bumps or clean and completely red and uncomfortable.  Regardless of the amount of effort, it’s not an easy fix and patients often times begin to lose hope.

      Over the past 5 years, this practice has mastered this less well-known condition and will soon be launching an Advanced Exfoliating Kit for Redness and Flushing.  This comprehensive kit can resolve all issues of Redness, Flushing, Seborrheic Dermatitis, “Rosacea”, Post- Oral Isotretinoin Sensitivity, and Intolerant Skin.  The video below is a case presentation of a young man who had relentlessly suffered from this uncomfortable condition for years:     “Redness and Facial Flushing #1″

©2008 “Post-Oral Isotretinoin Redness and Flushing”  by Dr. Neal Schwartz

       Since we launched our online practice earlier this summer, dozens of transformed people have emailed me stories of their newly found control after years of heartache and failure.  

However, likely due to the rising exposure of the videos, only a few have been brave enough to send videos and photos of their experiences.  This post is a reminder of a contest I promised everyone back in March.

    The contest was for the best proven transformation using our Acne Bootcamp™ program.    So far, the leading video is the “Home Version 2″ 

    To all the wonderful people who have had success here,  don’t hesitate to crop down your photos and enter them into this contest.  At the end of this year, the winner  will receive 500 dollars!!

    Not to worry…, those who are just starting to clear up will also have an opportunity to enter next year’s contest…

     To all my loyal online clients,  I hope you have felt the passionate energy that has been put into this medical project.  It has been a very rewarding experience to help those who had previously lost hope.

In a little over a month, I will be sending out free samples of our completely original exfoliating products to all of you who were trusting and brave enough to enter this journey with me.

Be well, 

-Dr. Neal

     The Starter Kits last 5-7 weeks and refills are reasonably priced at 25-35 dollars per product.  Once a patient is completely clear, I tell them in the office that they will likely need some type of continued prevention with either some or all of the products.  Surprisingly, some patients will completely extinguish their acne and no longer need any special products at all after they complete this program.  It depends how stubborn the case is.

     I think the most underemphasized aspect of modern medicine is the conversation of people acting as good patients vs. bad patients.  As you learn more about the phenomenon of the patient/practitioner relationship, you begin to understand that it is often times critical to relinquish control, learn to trust again, and allow others to truly help you…

Here’s a classic list of  qualities contrasting  Good Patients vs. Bad Patients.    

Which list describes you??

(let’s start with the positives…)

“Good” Patients:

1)  From Day 1, they assume their Doctor has the ability to help them.

2)  They assume their Doctor has seen similar cases to them and that their case is not ultra-special

3)  Good patients are able to open their heart and trust another human being.  They realize that being burnt in the past has no connection to their new, chosen practitioner.

4)  They can ask detailed questions about their case without letting emotion and frustration cloud the detail of the ongoing healing work.

5)  They are hungry for treatment details.

6)  Good Patients know that treatable conditions are always treatable.  They realize it is just a matter of finding the correct path, the best weaponry, and the best suited practitioner.

“Bad” Patients:  (Keep in mind that good people are often times “bad” patients)

1)  From Day 1,  they assume their doctor does not understand their condition.  They will go through the motions despite the belief that their treatment has a low probability of success.

2)  Bad patients believe their case is very special and has never been seen before by the global medical community.

3)  Bad patients Do Not Trust their practitioner and furthermore, do not believe there is a need to trust.  They do not see the importance of the patient/practitioner relationship and usually view their interaction with their doctor in a manner similar to buying merchandise.  

4)  Bad patients allow frustration and emotional reactivity to cloud all the details of the healing process.  They can’t listen in a detailed fashion because of their strained emotional reactions. They can’t ask detailed questions either because their focus is stuck on their own frustration rather then the detailed plan to get better.

5)  They are not hungry or interested in any further treatment details and begin to assume they know exactly what their practitioner is going to say.  They become self-made experts and develop a deep belief that they know it all.  From this vantage point, it becomes very easy for them to create a mistaken logical conclusion:  ”If I know it all and I’m still not better, then my special case must be untreatable”   (This quote describes the classic development of mistaken pessimism.)

6)  Bad patients believe people are out to get them.  Their paranoia actually creates a wall that pushes new people away that otherwise could have helped them.  Their tangible paranoia becomes infectious and people naturally do not trust them.  As the mutual disrespect builds, they find themselves in other negative situations and conclude that they were right in the idea that people are not to be trusted.  (They fail to realize that their negative attitude is what creates and attracts negative experiences in their life)

Think about this….., chronic acne is known to be a treatable condition in every textbook around the world.  If someone is living with chronic inflammation of their face or body, could it be that their inability to repeatedly ask for help is the root cause of the chronic failure??

Ask the question, review the details of what makes a good patient vs. a bad patient.  If you decide you are, in fact, a good patient….,   then your only job is to find a new practitioner with the talent to help your stubborn, treatable case.   …And then allow yourself to trust again……    

I have made it my life’s mission to help good patients who are still suffering both in the office and online.  I will also expend countless amounts of energy trying to teach “bad” patients how to become better patients, allowing others to help them out of this difficult, spiraling situation.

-Dr. Neal

©2008  ”Are You A “Good” Patient”   by Dr. Neal Schwartz

     For those of you who make music every day of your life, there is no need to read this.  We’ll focus on some more detailed physical activity techniques later on for you…

    For those who don’t sing with your own piano or guitar,  you have no idea of the stress relieving and soulful experiences you are missing in this one and only lifetime.  I lived for 29 years without a real base of making  music or singing in my life.  When I finally found the guitar and my voice 4 years ago, it was probably the biggest shift of my life.  It’s a physical vibration that can help soothe any personality.  

   As a doctor, a teacher, and a healer, I’d like to share my experience with my dramatic transition from non-musician to musician in a way that hopefully will change many peoples lives in infinite ways.  I’m going to share the exact  details of how I used the internet to teach myself guitar and exactly how I was able to play and sing my first two real songs in the first week of playing….

So without further delay,  I introduce to you:  

“Dr. Neal’s One Week Transformation Into a Full Blown Musician”

1)    Buy a reasonably priced guitar.

      Used guitars are everywhere and if you are shopping around for guitars, try to find someone to help you who knows what they are supposed to feel and sound like.   If you’re on your own,  consider getting help from the guys at the music store.  For a new one, you are looking for a simple guitar between 150-300 dollars.  Any less and you will throw it out.  Any more and you’re posing a little bit…

Accessories needed:   capo $20, picks $5, tuner $30  (buy the black Korg chromatic tuner.  The cheaper silver one is a waste of money.)

2)  Pick a Song

     This is the fun part.  choose a very popular classic rock, pop, or rock song that has been covered by many other guitarist before you.   The 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s have unlimited amount of choices that have very simple guitar interpretations.   

To find you version of the song to play on the guitar (or piano),  go to http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

Enter a song or band name in the top search with the appropriate category checked.  Choose a song that has many versions already written by other musicians.  Select the version that is in Chords and has a high rating with many votes. 

Here’s an example of one of the first songs I ever learned:   http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/u/u2/one_acoustic_crd.htm

Notice how this chords are placed on the lyrics usually close to where the chord should change.  You’ll have to use your familiarity with the song to help fill in the gaps.

3)  Chord Interpretation for Guitar (or piano)

The new ultimate-guitar site has actually been making all the chords expandable to show the finger postions.  

For a Closer look at where your fingers should go,  go to http://www.chordfind.com/

Notice the finger positions and whether to play an open string or not to play an open string.  (the piano chords can be found at the link at the bottom of the page)

Major chords are all chords with no other elaboration or description.  m  is a minor chord, etc…

–Those who catch the music fever will not put the guitar down until their fingers are sore and developing the needed caluses on the finger tips.   Those who don’t catch the fever and play only once or twice a week will have a much lower chance of making it over the hump.  If you sprint in life toward a destination, unbelievable things can happen.  Only a sprint will get you playing your first song by week one….  The rewards are massive if you make it.    I hope you do….

some side tips:

-fingernails ultra short on your string hand (left) so you can go completely vertical onto the real tip of your finger.

-Observe your own neck hunching and fix it when you can.  Try to keep the guitar upright after you’ve found your place.  It will allow you reach around the neck easier.

-Right hand (strum hand) can start with a pick or just your thumb. The right hand plays the familiar rhythm of the song you chose. (I’ll try to add a video of this later)

-don’t forget to check the top of the song to see if you need a capo and where to place it.

For those who make it over the hump, let us know how it feels…..

Be well, 

Dr. Neal

©2008   “Stress Relief #2 (Anyone Can Play Guitar)  by Dr. Neal Schwartz

      You can imagine that a practice that specializes in acne has also seen it’s share of people with sensitive skin.  Acne patients in general have a higher rate of sensitive skin and this concern has always been integral in the creation of our original line of products.  Having already figured out sensitive skin issues, this practice can help anyone out of the frustrating trap of acne with ultra-sensitive skin.  All allergies have been seen before and can be dealt with using various online recommendations from Dr. Neal himself.  

If you are Allergic to many Acne medications, do not prematurely give up hope.  All cases of Acne can be worked out.   

     It takes 24-48 hours to see your first improvement in this program.  If 48 hours has passed and you haven’t seen your first improvement, you are expected to email Dr. Neal and tell him what is going on with your particular situation.  You can get the most accurate advice by sending focused close up photos of your skin.

Yes.

You can see many of the patients in our case studies have red and dark marks that disappear in the “after” videos.

Here’s a good example from our case study page:       “Ray”