Most of us are looking for a diagnosis when we seek medical attention for symptoms that range from weight gain to insomnia, depression, fatigue and memory problems.

Instead of a diagnosis that uncovers the underlying causes of these health challenges, we most often wind up with a pill and sometimes a patronizing pat on the head.

Overweight, fatigue, memory loss, depression, joint pain and stomach upsets aren't diseases. They are symptoms. Unless you can get to the underlying causes of those symptoms, long-term relief will elude you.

Prescription drugs like may address your symptoms temporarily, but they aren't going to solve the underlying problems or give you long-term relief from your symptoms. In fact, so many pharmaceutical drugs cause side effects that, after your doctor writes those prescriptions, you're likely to end up with an even larger list of symptoms than you had at the outset.

The truth is that many doctors don't have the time or even the training to delve into the reasons for your symptoms. Did you know that your doctor only received a handful of hours of nutrition education during four years of pre-med and four years of medical school? That's shocking considering the large numbers of health challenges that are based on nutritional deficiencies.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. So many doctors have become so reliant on pharmaceuticals that they don't even consider other treatments that are frequently more effective and cause fewer side effects.

Here's a typical case from Dr. Cass' files:

"I remember Jean, a 55-year-old college professor whose story is pretty typical. She was being treated by her internist for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and heart palpitations. She as referred to me, a psychiatrist by training, because of her anxiety, depression and insomnia.

I could find no obvious psychological explanation for these symptoms, except maybe for the stress of her physical illness.

She was taking an array of medications, with their attendant side effects. Based on some simple lab tests and my own clinical experience, I determined that magnesium deficiency was a likely cause of her symptoms.

After a brief trial on this inexpensive and common mineral, together with a multi-vitamin formula and essential fatty acids, Jean was able to decrease her medications. Encouraged by this results, she trusted me enough to eliminate some foods to which she was allergic, which helped her even more.

In a short time, not only were her anxiety, depression and insomnia gone, but she was soon medication-free, depending instead on a list of supplements to restore her normal body chemistry.

Situations like Jean's leave me with some questions:

1. Why had Jean's internist been unaware of her mineral deficiency, or even of its possibility? Why hadn't he at least given her a basic multi-vitamin formula?
2. Why give the prescription drugs first? This approach is like unplugging the noisy fire alarm instead of looking for the fire!"

If your doctor is "unplugging the fire alarm instead of looking for the fire," the 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health program can help you make some powerful discoveries about yourself and your health.

The first teleseminar offers the basics:

• Starting a Wellness Journal (with online resources)
• Getting enough sleep
• Drinking enough water
• Choosing the right kind of exercise and creating an exercise program that works for you.

You can join in these no-cost teleseminars by registering at:

www.8WeekstoVibranthealth.com.