Many of us spend days, weeks, or even years looking for a person that will point us in the right direction.
A person that will not only explain our anxiety disorder in clear terms, but also how we can cope with it without going broke.
There are so many great ways to cope with anxiety, but unfortunately many of them require a lot of moolah.
Dr. Weekes on the other hand, provides inexpensive resources that can actually make you feel better.
Now, Dr. Claire Weekes ( 1903 – 1990) is not a caped crusader. She was a medical doctor and writer from Australia that spent over 40 years helping people like me and you.
Dr. Weekes is an anxiety superhero in that she also suffered from what she called “Nervous Illness,” but never allowed it to rule her life. She designed a basic program for recovery that was focused on overcoming what she called the three main pitfalls of nervous illness (anxiety disorder).
The pitfalls are sensitization , bewilderment (confusion) and fear. For Dr. Weekes, these are the three reasons why you are the way you are, and why you stay this way.
She describes sensitization as a person’s body being in an elevated state of sensitivity so that almost anything can trigger the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to things like panic attacks.
Dr. Weekes stated that this was the reason why you are jumpy, and prone to the over production of adrenaline, which ultimately causes all the nasty physical symptoms you encounter.
The second pitfall is bewilderment. She believed that because most people don’t understand the physical basis for a panic attack, or other anxiety related symptom, they become confused and “stuck in a maze.” It’s the confusion that keeps you anxious and may even worsen the condition, since it tends to rob you of hope and direction.
The last pitfall is fear. Dr. Weekes argues that after a while you’re simply afraid of your constant state of fear. This also contributes to more sensitization and confusion.
Dr. Weekes also thought of chronic anxiety as a cycle, a set pattern. A pattern that could be figured out and defeated.
Best of all, recovery from chronic anxiety according to Dr. Weekes is not rocket science. Her method of recovery is this: accept, float, and let time pass. She states over and over that if you do this you can get better.
Dr. Weekes wrote five books in total and also made several radio and T.V. appearances. Of all her works however there are two that I have relied on for peace and comfort when things got tough.
1. Hope and Help for Your Nerves . This relatively short book is her first, and it’s packed with useful information and self help tips on how to cope with your anxiety. I read this book on a regular basis to help me understand things more clearly. It is broken up into short chapters, which really makes it a great reference. She also talks about many of her patients and how anxiety manifested itself in them, and how they figured out creative ways to cope.
2. My all time favorite however is her audio CD called Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear . This CD is a an absolute life safer. To hear Dr. Weekes’s voice in times of need was really indispensable. She has a way of “cracking the whip” on you and making you realize that you are, in fact, not crazy. And, that this anxiety disorder of yours will not kill you. It comes in both CD and cassette.
I wanted to introduce Dr. Weekes to you because I had gone over five years with anxiety disorder without ever hearing her name. She is really is a giant in this field, and her contributions to helping people that suffer from anxiety disorder really can’t be overstated.
She explains things very simply and clearly, and gives you the sense that she really understands not only anxiety disorder, or “Nervous Illness,” but your personal struggle with it. I used to keep her audio CD in my car and the book in my home.
I have gained a tremendous amount of support and hope from Dr. Weekes. Much of what I believe to be effective coping strategies I adopted from her work .
Although I still incorporate other methods into my personal coping strategy, Dr. Weekes’s views and opinions still guide much of what I do and think with respect to my anxiety disorder. I strongly recommend that you look up her work and see if she can’t help you as well.
I have read many anxiety self-help books and I agree that Dr. Weekes was the most compassionate and helpful of all of the authors that I read. You don’t hear about her because there are so many more currently engaged in trying to make money from your illness. But, if you want to gain confidence and understanding of your illness, read Dr. Weekes.
Dr. Weekes is the only one of the anxiety doctors (on the web and in the office) to explain exactly what was going on in terms of my full scale nervous breakdown. The feelings of unreality, the disengration of self, suggestability, the messy hair and all the crying. It was the first hope that I was not a “speacial case” and I was not actually crazy.
That’s what I love most about Dr. Weekes, when you feel “special” her words and audio can snap you back into reality. Love her.
Dr. Weekes’ work was recommended to me as I was attempting to recover from severe postpartum anxiety, depression, and worsening agoraphobia. Her books became my bibles. I knew I wasn’t crazy, and she revealed to me exactly what was going on so I could actually get better. Even now, when I have slip-ups, she’s my first resource.
dr claire weekes is truiy a good send a true angle she and her tapes help me to much. she is the best
I am reading her book and also audio tapes, excellent book and has given me hope to recover. Really great book for anyone suffering from nervous illness (Anxiety…). I keep reading and reading and practice what she says, it has helped me a LOT so far, still practicing.
In a way I kind of feel ‘lucky’ to be an anxiety sufferer at this time – as opposed to 5o years ago. There are so many resources that you can get your hands on now. It seems to me thouhg that Weekes was kind of out there on her own. A real pioneer. She must have helped so many people over the years, such a great legacy.
I’m really enjoying “Hope and Help For Your Nerves” and it is the first book I’ve read by her, upon the suggestion of this blog. I’m getting benefit from it and other books, as well as mindfulness meditation practice, which I think complement what she writes very well. Thanks for the suggestion!
Before you spend tons of money on other programs. Order her books, they are inexpensive and worth the weight in gold. Years ago when the panic started they were the only comfort and a life saver to me. I have always kept them. In the past six years my father, husband and mother all passed away, this has brought on my panic again. I am so grateful I have her books to turn to. I am sending a special prayer to her in heaven for helping us. If you are low on funds try finding her books used on the internet or library, but the softcovers are already inexpensive. Maybe one day they will find out why some people are prone to nerves, but until then we can get some confort in Claire Weekes books.
I listen to her audio on my way to work and have her books at home. I find a sense of peace when i listen to her. Just knowing i’m not alone helps me realize its a normal condition that can be lessoned with time and practice. The ‘what ifs’ get to me and its a struggle. I am so glad i found her because she is an important part of my life.
male 38 years old. 2 children.
if anyone would like to discuss or chat about her, email me anytime markdz71@gmail.com
I have yet to find an earlier source that truly understood the condition as well as Dr Weekes did. Has anyone found an earlier source on anxiety that makes as nuch sense ?
Hello Mark, I tried to contact you but no answer so far. Who else would like to discuss about her and her work? I know about Claire Weekes since three weeks and I’m sure that I found the answer to my problem after 15 years living with anxiety.
hopeandhelp@t-online.de
Hey Marcus, i did get your last email and wrote back.
For everyone else, i was able to find more Claire Weekes audio from Australia. Some of it is the same as whats offered in the USA, BUT some are new.
Mark
Dr Claire Weekes was my life saver 6 years ago and now 6 years later, she is still helping me through her books. I thank my lucky stars the day i bought her book. Without her, I truly cannot say what would have happened to me – no doctors that I have met can even explain anxiety as clearly as she did.
Which audio is the best for generalized anxiety and panic attacks? I see she has a few of them..
The CD Passing through panic was the best for me.
I have stumbled on your website……can i recommend you look at https://www.panicfree.co.nz….a recovery program based on the work of Claire Weekes. I assure you this is not a spam / sales pitch. I have just joined the program but am getting a lot of inspiration and strength from those who are on it, practising Claire Weekes program and are making progress. They swear its the only permanent way out of anxiety……
Dr. Weekes was a Godsend to me as seeminglly the only, and ultimately the best, resource when I was going through Panic issues. It’s been over 20 years since I had an anxiety ocurrence, and could care less if I had they started tomorrow as she is that “spot on” with her description of anxiety disorder syptoms and their cure. God bless that woman!
As I’m preparing my mind for a long plane trip, I’m listening to Pass Through Panic for the umpteenth time. I’d been an agoraphobic since age 14 (almost 50 years ago). Eventually, I found Dr. Weekes. Wow! Unlike many therapists who didn’t understand my problem and thus left me feeling like a freak, she understood completely. For the first time, I could see a way out, and she gave me the confidence to pursue it. I want to tell everyone to believe her insights and trust her methods. She was a great healer who has left us a legacy of transformative teachings.
I just wanted to give you all some encouragement, and to confirm what you’re all saying about Dr Claire Weeks. She is one of the reasons that I made a complete recovery from agoraphobia. I was affected from my late 20s till my early 40s. I’m now approaching my 60s and live a completely normal life. I can’t tell you exactly how I overcame it – it was gradual – but reading these books helped so much to understand what was happening to me, and they lessened the ‘fear of the fear’. (I eventually referred to my condition as ‘Aunt Aggie’!)
I would also advise you to ‘seize the moment’. You know – those times where you feel a little better than usual. Try and build on those moments.
Good luck to you all – you can do it!
I agree. I love Dr.Weekes approach and find it comforting. I have only found her Pass Through Panic CDs here in Canada, does anyone know if any other recordings exist and where I could purchase them?
Nancy,
you can order more right from her website (owned by her daughter now).. Just print the orderform, fill it out and fax it.. I did that and my order was here in about 1-2 weeks.. The website is: https://www.claireweekes.com.au/
I can’t say much that hasn’t already been said, but I’m fairly sure that Dr. Weekes’ teachings are the largest reason I’ve been able to make progress towards mitigating anxiety completely. Her information is invaluable. What a legacy she left behind. Superhero is right.
hi. i heard about this aurther and i wandering if tehres anyone with the linden method becaus ei gave uyp reading that after about a week and there are so many good comments about this aurther and i am really stuggling, feeling very suisidal.
so whats the best book for if you lke 8 out of 10 of a scale of difficulty agoraphobia/genralised anxiety disorder.
🙂
Try any of the Claire Weekes books or programs menitoned above. Don’t lose hope! Once you make it through this, and you will make it through this, your life will have a sweetness to it that will never subside.
You’ll get there by not trying to fight them and just float through them when they come. They’re horrible and you hate them but they cannot hurt you. The cure to this requires no effort but it takes the courage to allow them to come and you can do it!
First i’d like to say great site, i found your site through your review and thought to myself..great another person trying to profit from peoples suffering, i still visited just to see what kind of “magic method” you were selling here, but to my surprise this is so far filled with great information..so kudos.
Like Dr.Weekes says in her book “anxiety is not a mysterious, complicated illness” there are no “magic methods” or “magic bullets” if you will. There is no overnight cure, but if you read her book you will understand why you have what you have and how to deal with it.
I find that the key is to have this book ready and read it for reference when feeling down or just as a reminder, us anxious people need constant reminders before we change our thinking patterns from that of fear to that of acceptance. Many people will find it hard to do a simple task, accept, because FEAR is so strong. You just have to keep coming back to the book and realizing that even so many years ago Weekes could describe your illness as if she is in the room with you, that means that the human psychology doesn’t change and what works then, will work now. Just follow her steps and continue to go to the book for motivation.
Combining this book with cognitive behavior therapy/self therapy, exercise, diet and healthy life style will be your path to recovery.
Also I find smiling helps 🙂 so smile a little.
Thanks for the info about Claire Weeks and your recent post regarding her work. I’ve been reading books on anxiety for the past 10 years; since my anxiety really got to the point where I realized what it was and started having more severe symptoms.
I just recently started reading “Hope and Help for Your Nerves” and it’s really resonating with me.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Cindy
Has anyone tried to order from her Australian website recently? I sent an email with a question and have not heard anything back (almost a week now). I was just wondering how long it would take.
For fear of boring you to death by making a long story even longer, I’ll get on with this in as few words as possible. The gist of it is that I lost my only daughter, which almost killed me, for she was truly my life. I was terrified, for I didn’t know how I could possibly live without her. I realized I had to make a change, so I moved to Wilmington, NC. My sister was here as were some of my closest relatives. Almost immediately upon moving here, I lost my voice. I don’t mean I literally lost it, but I began to suffer with larnyxgitus (sp.?)almost daily. I thought this was due to allergis, but I have been to several ETMs and they cannot find the cause. I know I am allergic to chemicals, for I had to stop wearing perfume many years ago. Now though, it has occurred to me that my problem is caused by anxiety. Whenever I am in any stressful situation I become so hoarse, and my voice sounds so strange it is embarrising. Is this possible? If this could be the reason, is there anything that I can do?
Sincerely,
(Mrs.) Billie Daniel
I downloaded Pass Through Panic off of audible.com using the Hulu 2 free downloads promotion. I listen to it almost everyday on my Ipod. 2 hours of peace of mind and knowing I’m not crazy and have a future to look forward to.
Go get it right now!
Thanks Paul for everything you do, peace and calm to all! Erik
Billie, that looks like a clear nervous symptom to me. They come in all forms and sorts, but, as Dr Weekes says, they are not serious or important at all so we just have to accept them when they come and float through them, knowing that if we do this they’ll go away eventually. I know that from own experience.
Dr Weekes’s teachings are also my best help so far, though in my case (GAD) I found the best cure was a combination of Weekes’s teachings and positive thinking through a cognitive behavioral therapy. I found this only flaw in Weekes’s teachings: she talked about the more apparent side of anxiety and about the fear of the physical symptoms and that fear cycle, but she didn’t talk so much about what she calls “first fear”, or fear of things in life, like feeling inferior, feeling the need to prove oneself, fearing failing exams, fearing your partner will abandon you etc. That causes as much anxiety and nerves as the fear of having a panic attack, and against that, the only real effective cure is positive thinking and a good therapist is the best way to do that.
Does anybody else see it that way?
Thanks for the article about Dr. Weekes! I enjoy reading various articles on different remedies for anxiety. I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks during my freshman and sophomore years of college, and I am just now starting to recover. I can now do things like simply go to class without fear of a panic attack, and even go out to eat with my family and friends without having to hide in the bathroom during my panic attacks. I’ve read a lot about anxiety disorders and various cures for anxiety, and I’ve really noticed that different approaches work for different people.
I’m glad to read some of these comments about this method working for them! Always glad to see an anxiety sufferer find some sort of relief, as I believe it is one of the most frustrating disease one can have.
Dr Weekes is wonderful. I have suffered with nerves/anxiety on and off since a young girl. Usually in most stressful times of my life. exams, wedding, babies, worry about my children as they are older. so on etc. am nervy at moment and reading her books really really help
x Carol
I love Dr. Weekes and her books/ CDs. I can’t remember when I first came across her name but I read so many positive reviews, I just had to order them. You have no idea how good I felt after 11+ years of suffering and not understanding why. I still struggle and have to go back to her resources but it takes less time each time to figure it out and calm myself. I wish she were alive so I could hug her and thank her for ‘saving’ my life!
Thank you also for your site!
Simply put, Dr. Weekes’ books saved my life. The BEST by far.
Does anyone know how the long the cd Pass through Panic is ? O downloaded the abridged version on audible.com and it’s approx 2 hours. Its amazing so far !!
Try SelfTherapy dot org — the free audio recording only. It’s a practical approach to getting comfortable with your internal sensations as a method to resolve anxiety – not unlike what Claire Weekes describes, but with a guided process.
I have been dealing with anxiety issues right now and Claire Weeks has been a Godsend. Her explaination of what “nervous illness” is was enough to let me know I am not going crazy. So many wrong diagnoses, misprescribed medications, and wrong advise given….”just fight it”. Her book is simple and does not break the bank like so many other sources that take advantage of anxiety sufferers. She gives me hope and calm…never have anxiety when I am reading her book 🙂 I look forward to learning more from her and other sources on general anxiety and how to learn to live a full life given the “nerves” I have. Great blog…you were all so inspiring 🙂
I have to agree. Hope and Help for Your Nerves was the first book I ever read on anxiety many years ago and is always the one I come back to. It’s written in such a simple, concise manner, and yet she somehow sends those all important messages that we need to hear. Last summer I went through a really rough period with my anxiety to the point of feeling like I was about to have a breakdown. I dug through my books, found Hope and Help and sat down and read it again. I did end up going to counseling, which has helped tremendously, but this book pulled me back from the edge of feeling like I would never get better. God bless you Dr. Weekes, and thanks Paul for an awesome site!
I have just ordered a copy of “Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear” and from the comments above I am very hopeful for the future. I have suffered with GAD for about 12/13 years now and have never come across Claire Weekes’ name before! With any luck she will be the missing piece in my anxiety-puzzle! Whilst I hope that everyone who suffers with any form of Anxiety disorder overcomes their condition as fast as possible, it’s still reassuring and comforting to know that there are others out there who feel (and understand) how I feel. Good luck to you all, we’ll do it! 🙂
STEVE — So sorry to hear of your suffering – I can totally relate as I’ve dealt with anxiety for 40 years. Dr. Weekes is a GODSEND. It will take time and practice,but you CAN do it. Do not give up, and do not fight against your anxiety. Best Wishes, Susan
Just asking one question out of curiosity and to build confidence in myself.
How many of you are able to comeout of your anxiety disorder and how much time it took.
Its up to you,i have taught myself some thought stopping signals,so each time i feel im heading down i bring them into action.also you say confidence in yourself,in what way do you mean this.ie when you go out or at or, driving a car.tell me in what area as i may be able to give you some tips i use.cheers from a recovered panic disorder lady.
Hi Sherria,
I can relate to the previous comment. I am very “sensitized” now and so I am experiencing physical sensations 24 hours a day. It is hard to have confidence that this can and will go away. I especially have trouble sleeping. What tips to you have?
She saved me… and you played a huge part too Paul!
I realize now that I’d been anxious most of my life, but it wasn’t until last year that I was forced to deal with it. I got my first panic attack and so began the nightmare – horrific physical sensations, almost constant fear, and the conclusion that I must be dying or going crazy. I read everything I could get my hands on about anxiety, a lot of which made me much more anxious! I was finally lucky enough to stumble across Claire Weekes book, which provided instant comfort and the way out. Even though her techniques worked well, a little voice in my head always worried (go figure!) that maybe they were outdated and therefore somehow invalid. This worry effectively stopped me from committing fully to her techniques. I found the anxiety guru blog one day while googling Claire Weekes. I can’t tell you what a relief it was to find other people who’ve been helped by her work – it gave me confidence to keep going.
Paul — thank you so much for all you do, and for helping to keep Dr. weekes work alive. Your compassion, knowledge, and insights are an important part of my recovery toolkit and I’m very grateful to you.
Sherria and all when I said confidence in my post of 16th November, i meant confidence of recovery. Many times I am on a path of recovery and suddenly one day of anxiety derails the whole recovery process. Then with lot of courage start the whole process again and again falters, this cycle continues At that point of time sometimes I lose my confidence and think that whether I will be able to recover completely. One good thing I am noticing is that previously my anxiety was constant now I am seeing ups and downs, some days are completely fine, some days completely filled with anxiety.
One question to all who says that they recovered completely, do you mean you are 100% fine all the time all the days ? and to you anxiety and panic looks trivial now ? and you have become so normal that you dont remember whats anxiety and panic.
Dr. Weekes work is in my view among the best of its kind for confronting this often tiring and debilitating condition. I’ve suffered with bouts of anxiety/panic, though have also had long periods of years being completely back fine.” She is so right on so many things. Her work is so clear and so relevant – as many have said its like she is there looking into your mind which shows just how intimately she understood nervous illness.
Her CD and books are superb pieces of work and timeless in their relevance.
To the poster above. During the bouts Ive had i was like this – up and down over short time periods. Examine your thinking. This is such a massive part of it. Anxious introspection is a terrible habit and one *so* easily slipped into sometimes you don’t event realise it. Ive learned to become very mindful of my thoughts and question ones that bring any panic. This takes allot of practice but it does work.
Ive been completely free of anxiety etc for long periods and i’ve had setbacks (usually brought on by stress or overwork) but each time the way out seems clearer, my confidence greater knowing that i’ve done it before and i will do it again. Every time i come back to Dr. Weekes teachings.
Wishing you all peace and recovery. This is a great place to educate and inform and above all knowing you are not alone.
Damian,
Thanks for the encouraging post. I, like Conqueranxietyjourney above, am now actually having moments, even days, that are relatively anxiety free. Your post helps me to realize that the more tools I learn and the more I can regulate my thoughts, the better off I’ll be. You give me hope that this is a part of myself I will be able to learn to live with. You are right, it is so great to know you are not alone….even though sometimes it seems like no one could possibly understand how it feels. Loving the posts and website.
Hi All, just wanted to add a comment as I’ve found all everyone elses so helpful.
I have recently (in the last two weeks) heard about Claire Weekes, and bought the audio book Hope and Help for your Nerves, which is available on itunes for the UK. I’ve had low level anxiety for 20 years, since I was a teenager. I say low level because I haven’t had panic attacks or phobias, but I didn’t know it was anxiety. I thought it was laziness, procrastination, tiredness, depression, and would just try harder and harder to improve myself all the time, telling myself off for feeling down or not doing work that I had to do. I have tried so many ‘self-help’ books, but they are all about lists and lists of excercises and things to do to improve yourself (which I then can’t stick to and feel bad about). Although I have been relatively successful, I have been too afraid to go for things I really want in life, in case I freeze up and can’t cope. This is the first thing that has started to work, and its all about ‘not doing’. I have been so much more accepting of my anxiety, and I feel that there is hope. Good luck everyone. p.s. I’d like to know how other people have used the teachings in relation to stress and anxiety at work.
Hi!
Like all of you, I love Claire Weeks, I actually believe she has helped me more than my therapist and medication!
Even though I’ve learned a lot thanks to her, I’m having a tough moment right now, because ever since september last year I had been feeling great (after suffering from GAD for 4 years); I stopped going to my therapist and taking meds (with his approval, of course), but then one day about a month ago, it all came back; by “it” I mean the fear, anxiety, discomfort, etc.
What this relapse has made me realize, however, was that eventhough I felt great, there was still that tiny fear inside of me, wishing that anxiety would never come back, and that fear was the very thing that made it come back! As Claire Weekes would put it, I find it very hard to “let go”.
Could you share some tips on how you “let go”? or have you found that there is no choice but to keep practicing every day (I mean reading the books, listening to the tapes) like some else mentioned?
Hi, I have been suffering from panic and severe anxiety for one year now. I tried everything, even ssri but I had to stop them due to bad side effects. What a strugle it is, every day is chalenge. I have wonderfull husbend and amazing three children and anxiety is ruining my life. Recently I bougt the book Hope and help for your nerves. It is great and I am trying to follow advices but it is very hard sometimes. Few times I did it but I guess it takes a lot of time and practice. Did any of you managed to do it without medication, just by following advice? Please can you give me some tips, I am desperate
Thank you
Mary,
It’s been almost 25 years since my last “relapse” and I have no fear of it coming back and you won’t either. Going through this I wondered of what value this thing was in my life until my wife and I found out that my son, who has asperger’s, has anxiety issues. Now I thank God that I had Panic Disorder come into my life so I could help him.
Take heart as once you are on the path to normalcy, there is no going back! You are taking “intellectual” control over your primordial brain and retraining it not to fear these “attacks” as if they were real threats. No matter how you much you indulge your fear by “what ifing” your recovery, you are training your brain not to fear what cannot hurt you.
You may think on them from time to time, but your body will not be sensitized to them and will not start the “fight or flight” response. As your body continues to stand down as your nervous system’s activity continues to subside, that sense of “unconnectedness” with your environment will leave and you will fell good again. Any ancilliary side effects (feeling out of control, OCD, and etc.) will dissolve as your body reaches normalcy and is no longer guarding against perceived threats. You put your body on high alert, it responded magnificently (it really did). You are marching back to normalcy and nothing will derail you as you cannot fear what cannot hurt you. It’s that simple.
One last comment; having gone through this experience, nothing will touch you in this way again. My life has been fantastic since and yours will too!
One thing that Dr. Weekes talks about that really is so so important that is your attitude to fear. Fear plays such a massive role in this condition. You are reacting to thoughts, sensations and bodily symptons with fear. Why? Through habit. Anxiety is such a maze that is so easy to become lost in. I should know, ive been there and lived with the hell of it as so many have.
When you believe (not just think, but truly *believe*) you do not need to fear these strange thoughts, feelings and sensations you’ll reach a turning point. I read her books, CDs etc many many times as well as lots of other material. I would never be so certain as to assume “it” will never return but i know and believe there is no longer anything to be afraid of. This is achieved through practicing, learning and understanding. Really facing all of it head on and running in fear from nothing. You need to en grain her teaching into yourself so it becomes second nature. This has helped me enormously and i believe it can help anyone prepared to do the same. Its not easy at all but its so often the case in life that the things really worth doing take a considerable effort!
Thanks so much Jim and Damian! Your kind words really help me right now.
The thing that is most frustrating for me, is not being able to not be afraid. In my mind I know that’s the key, but my nerves are so sensitized that I can’t avoid feeling fear. However, like you said, it takes practice and I know that I’m exercising my brain as I would another muscle, to learn to cope with sensitized nerves the next time.
I have a question though, what do you do in times of high stress or worry, or how do you react to that, now that you are “cured”? Thanks again 🙂