Your Call Is Important To Us - The Dream

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dream – Episode “Your Call Is Important To Us”

Introduction

In the episode titled “Your Call Is Important To Us,” hosted by Little Everywhere and produced by Dan Gallucci, the focus pivots back to the wellness theme from Season Two. Despite being on vacation, the team brings a compelling rerun featuring listener calls that delve into personal experiences with wellness practices. This episode unpacks both the allure and the pitfalls of the wellness industry, shedding light on real-life stories that highlight the complex interplay between genuine well-being and exploitative practices.

Segment 1: The Dark History of Gary Young and Young Living Essential Oils

The episode opens with Dan Gallucci recounting the controversial history of Gary Young, the founder of Young Living Essential Oils. Gary's journey from a naturopathic practitioner to a figure embroiled in legal troubles showcases the fine line between alternative wellness and malpractice.

Early Practices and Legal Issues: Gary Young, despite lacking formal medical training, founded Golden 6 Health World in Spokane, Washington, in 1980. His unlicensed medical practices led to a tragic incident where a water birth at his clinic resulted in the death of a baby due to oxygen deprivation. This led to Young’s arrest and conviction for gross misdemeanor.

“The owner of the clinic eventually got arrested and convicted of gross misdemeanor for practicing medicine without a license.” [03:00]
Expansion and Deception in Tijuana: Post-conviction, Young relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, where he continued his dubious practices by promoting unverified treatments like blood crystallization tests and ortho molecular cell therapy, falsely promising cures for cancer.

“He promised cancer patients that after a three-week stay in his clinic that cost them $6,000, their cancer would be in remission.” [04:10]
Legacy and Death: Young's legacy persisted through Young Living Essential Oils, a multi-level marketing company that continues to operate despite its problematic origins. Gary Young passed away in 2018 from a stroke, leaving behind a controversial empire.

“After his daughter drowned and he moved to Tijuana to fleece desperate cancer patients... he died suddenly in 2018 of a stroke.” [04:50]

Segment 2: Listener Stories on Wellness Experiences

The core of the episode features heartfelt and critical listener call-ins, each sharing unique encounters with the wellness industry.

Crystal’s Battle with Epilepsy and Wellness Pitches

Crystal shares her struggle with epilepsy and how she was bombarded with offers from wellness companies promising natural cures.

“They still hit me up occasionally to ask me if I'd like to get off of my anti-seizure medicine and start taking their quote unquote, all natural medicine.” [06:46]
Sasha’s Observations on Evidence-Based Practices

Sasha, a massage therapist and birth doula, critiques the lack of scientific grounding in many wellness practices, highlighting terms like “quantum mechanics” and “frequencies” used without substantive evidence.

“Everyone thinks that they have an evidence-based practice. You hear quantum mechanics a lot... I think it's important to know that we aren't all being objective.” [07:01]
Tatiana’s Realization of Groupthink in Herbal Workshops

Tatiana recounts her experience at an herbal workshop where the facade of authenticity was shattered by a violation of protocol, leading her to question the integrity of the process.

“Something in me at that moment clicked like, oh, we're just pretending. We're all just here pretending together.” [14:33]
Jacob’s Encounter with Essential Oils During a Family Crisis

Jacob describes the intrusive nature of essential oil sales within his evangelical Christian community during his mother's battle with liver failure, criticizing the prioritization of sales over genuine support.

“People that should care and people family and friends... but at the end of the day I feel like they're trying to sell us oils when we just need food and help.” [18:35]
Kelly’s Experience with Quantum Neural Reset Therapy

Kelly details her skepticism turning into disillusionment after undergoing QNRT, an expensive and scientifically unsupported therapy involving colored eyeglasses and ionic foot baths.

“I think it's pretty safe to say that I won't likely return for those treatments... because I'm pretty sure that foot bath was also in the neighborhood of 75 bucks a pop.” [36:10]
Abby’s Journey from Misdiagnosis to Effective Treatment

Abby shares her harrowing experience of being misdiagnosed with migraines while suffering from idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Her reliance on alternative treatments delayed effective medical intervention, ultimately necessitating brain surgery.

“I spent three years undiagnosed... then they found out I didn't have migraines. I was bedridden for three years and then... the surgery worked.” [42:00]
Sasha’s Disillusionment with Churches Endorsing Wellness Centers

In a second caller segment, Sasha expresses discomfort with her church’s endorsement of wellness centers, where spiritual messages were intertwined with promoting chiropractic and hormonal balance services.

“I just... I don't even know why you would do that.” [40:00]

Segment 3: Understanding the Placebo Effect with Dr. Katherine Hall

Transitioning from personal stories, the episode features an insightful discussion with Dr. Katherine Hall, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, who delves into the placebo effect's scientific underpinnings.

Historical Context and Brain Activity:

Dr. Hall explains that the placebo effect has roots in the 1800s but gained scientific traction with neuroimaging studies in the early 2000s, revealing specific brain regions activated during placebo treatments.

“There were very specific regions of the brain that were activated in response to placebo treatment.” [24:49]
Predictive Processing and Physiological Responses:

The conversation explores how our brains anticipate outcomes, translating expectations into tangible physiological changes, thereby making placebos a subset of broader cognitive processes.

“Whether it's through conditioning or expectation, we can translate the context of the therapeutic encounter into a physiological response.” [27:12]
Case Study: Perkins Tractors:

Dr. Hall recounts the Perkins tractors case from the 1790s, illustrating how belief and expectation can foster real healing stories, even when the treatments themselves are inert.

“They painted some wooden sticks silver and ran a study... and guess what? They worked just as well.” [30:00]
Ethical Implications and the Future of Placebo Research:

The discussion highlights the need to balance the benefits of the placebo effect with ethical medical practices, advocating for a deeper understanding of what makes people feel better beyond deceptive treatments.

“We need to really figure out what's important here and how to deliver it so that people can feel better.” [32:15]

Conclusion

“Your Call Is Important To Us” masterfully intertwines listener narratives with expert insights, painting a nuanced picture of the wellness industry's impact on individuals. Through these stories and the exploration of the placebo effect, the episode invites listeners to critically evaluate wellness practices and understand the psychological mechanisms that underpin their effectiveness. By addressing both the allure and the potential harm of unregulated wellness trends, the podcast encourages a more informed and discerning approach to personal health and well-being.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

“They still hit me up occasionally to ask me if I'd like to get off of my anti-seizure medicine and start taking their quote unquote, all natural medicine.” — Crystal [06:46]
“Everyone thinks that they have an evidence-based practice... I think it's important to know that we aren't all being objective.” — Sasha [07:01]
“Something in me at that moment clicked like, oh, we're just pretending... there's no integrity to this process.” — Tatiana [14:33]
“People... but at the end of the day I feel like they're trying to sell us oils when we just need food and help.” — Jacob [18:35]
“I spent three years undiagnosed... the surgery worked.” — Abby [42:00]
“We need to really figure out what's important here and how to deliver it so that people can feel better.” — Dr. Katherine Hall [32:15]

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the episode’s critical examination of the wellness industry through personal testimonies and scientific discourse, providing a clear and engaging overview for both existing listeners and newcomers.

Transcript

Narrator (0:00)

This podcast is brought to you by Sony Pictures Classics. Presenting on Swift Horses Starring Daisy Edgar Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva and Sasha Calle. Muriel and her husband Lee are beginning a bright new life in California when he returns from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee's charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle quickly forms when Julius takes off in search of the young card cheat he's fallen for. Muriel's longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible. On Swift horses. Opens April 25th. Only in theaters. Get tickets now at onswifthorses.com this episode.

Advertiser (0:45)

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Dan Gallucci (1:06)

I'm producer Dan Gallucci and this is the dream. We're on vacation this week, but we are bringing you a rerun from season two, our season on wellness that features calls from listeners like you.

Host (1:21)

In 1981, a stranger showed up in Spokane, Washington to open a natural health clinic. He was 32, married, from Idaho. Not a lot is known about his early years, but it is known that he graduated from high school. That's it. He had no medical training apparently. A year before opening the clinic in 1980, he signed up to take a course led by a naturopath, but dropped out after only a few classes, stiffing the course leader with an eighteen hundred dollar unpaid tuition bill. Despite this lack of education, he opened Golden 6 Health World, a facility that offered a variety of naturopathic services and some that he himself developed, like taking blood samples from patients to interpret them, his words. In an effort to detect cancer cells. He also offered water births at the clinic. At that time, the state had been kind of lax in making sure folks practicing medicine were licensed. But something happened at Golden 6 Health World on September 4, 1982 that would inspire the Washington State Department of Licensing and local police to stage a weeks long undercover sting operation of the facility and it would land the owner in jail. On that September day almost 40 years ago, Donna Young came in for a water birth at the clinic. As she and her husband both opposed hospital births, the father was later quoted as saying there are more dam hazards in the hospital than out of the hospital. And there are enough damn statistics to prove it. Labor and delivery went normally, but after the baby was born, the the owner of the clinic encouraged Donna to keep the baby in the water with the mistaken belief that the baby could receive oxygen via the umbilical cord for an extended period of time. They ended up leaving her in the water for almost an hour and the baby died of oxygen deprivation. The county coroner later said there was no reason this should have happened and that it was a perfectly normal, healthy little girl. There's no reason she should not have lived. The owner of that clinic eventually got arrested and convicted of gross misdemeanor for practicing medicine without a license. He was also the baby's father. His name was Gary Young. Later, Gary moved to Tijuana and opened another clinic where he developed a blood crystallization test and something he called ortho molecular cell therapy, both of which he claimed could treat or cure most of the world's ailments. He promised cancer patients that after a three week stay in his clinic that cost them $6,000, their cancer would be in remission. For $10,000, they could be completely cured forever. Word spread through Southern California about this miracle worker just south of the border. And in 1987, an LA Times reporter sent him a blood sample. Cat blood. And the unsuspecting fake doctor gave the reporter a diagnosis of aggressive cancer. Maybe to be funny. The reporter followed up with chicken blood and was diagnosed with an inflamed liver. Your blood is indicating the possibility of a pre lymphomic condition. It appears as though you've recently undergone a high level of upset in your life which has weakened your immune response considerably. We recommend a supervised program of cleansing, detox and rebuilding. They offered him the $6,000 inpatient detox. Or if that was too much and he didn't want to travel, he could treat himself at home with $400 worth of supplements the fake doctor sold in California. Okay, now I'm going to get to the really crazy part. I'm sure some of you listeners know exactly who I'm talking about. And you're either mad at me for maligning one of your favorite people or you're going, oh my God, she went there. But for those of you who've never heard of Gary Young, he's the man who, after his daughter drowned and he moved to Tijuana to fleece desperate cancer patients and healthy people alike out of thousands of dollars. He then started another natural health company, Young Living Essential Oils. The Christian Essential oils company that my family members are involved with. Gary Young, the self proclaimed healer who made millions selling miracle potions to desperate folks from across the globe, died suddenly in 2018 of a stroke. He was 68. That's a story I've been dying to tell you for. Well, since last season. This season you've been dying to tell us some of your stories. Reports of wellness gone bad and good and have flooded our inboxes and Twitter feeds. So we gave you our phone number and asked that you call in and share your stories in your own words. And boy, you guys are fighting some ugly battles out there in Wellnessland. Let's listen to some of the calls.