Show n DAILY HEALTH L SERVICE SERVICE- 1 t I Attempts t to Cure a Confirmed i I Alcoholic Psychological Task I y By DR OR MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hygeia Hy Hy- geia the Health Ma Magazine azine Fa For Foi I. I years cars it has been the impression anion among physicians gen gen- orally rall that a man becomes a chronic alcoholic not riot because ot of an any special qualities In alcohol creating ere cre a certain disease but because of ot some qualities in m the man himself himself him him- self elf which make male him hint want ant to drink Because of oC the tho general medical ef effects cf- cf of ot alcohol Dr Henry Hart has attempted to analyze the per personality factors in alcoholism as they occurred in some thirty patients who w were ro studied in an In institution devoted to ho tho treatment of ot chronic alcoholics I It has long been known wn that the alcoholic patient is unreliable and will try to deceive his relatives his friends and his doctor when thc they try to ascertain Just wh why he Indulges Indulges in indulges In- In in his tendency to alcoholic sprees or chronic tippling PARENTS BLAMED Of Ot the thirty patients only nine gave a definite history of ot having a father ather who was also an alcoholic In n seven cases It was reported that the father of ot the patient had been strict stern or 01 repressive and in six cas cases z s that tho father was un- un I and had had a nervous I breakdown In seven of oC the cases I the he father could be considered healthy in every wa way both physically cally and mentally In four cases tho the mother had died before the child was old enough so that she sho could have af affected affected af af- his lifo UCo in any my way In ten cases the child had had what the psychologists call fixation on its mother In eleven cases case there was wasn n- n definite history of ot marital discord dis cord between the parents and in Ie ono one n case a a. feeling of ot Intense hatred toward to the tho tho mother because the child had learned that sho shio had at attempted attempted attempted at- at tempted to pet get et rid of of him before he henas was nas born In two cases In women th ho mother was definitely an alco- alco Amon Among these patients there v. v were ere nun numerous erous instances of abnormality of ot p personal adjustment to life and of personality personam The 11 e forma corm of menal menta mentill men- men ta al till abnormality varied from shiftlessness shUt shift and irresponsibility to feelings o of inferiority religious fa fanaticism fa- fa and sexual disturbances The moi most t significant factor found apparently was the fact that most of 01 th the patients showed a complete lack ack of DC any downright concern over their weakness There was nde d. d a luck lack of ot desire on the part of ot the alcoholic patient to get well so that t the he p painfulness of ot his affliction is outbalanced In his own mind 1 by hl Vila his senile senne of ot comfort and well being hO he takes too much alcohol Thus it Is difficult to to effect t an any permanent euro cure In Mn n alcoholic patient pa pa- lent tient without substituting some some- thing su such h as religion art or love loc oe for or the alcohol and which will take ho the place in the patients patient's ego o of cC the effect that t. ho bo gets from alcohol This c explains why the tho chronic drunkard does s not noi want to tel pet well no no matter mattei how much he may protest protest protest pro pro- test that he doe docs ESCAPING MARITAL WOES Dr Hart fart found Cound among al alcoholics a an overwhelming number of t In Instances In- In stances I of ot marital maladjustments 9 so tha that it seemed scented quite likely mely that the resort to alcohol was sas an at attempt attempt at at- tempt to get et rid IM of oC the difficulties associated with married life Ufe Apparently the person son who Is a chronic alcoholic 13 is one who has a constitutional instability who finds I discord in fri the family in which he heis heis heis is raised b 1 He is ill 11 II adjusted to life me has hac no sense acisa of oC responsibility and when he ho prows grows s o up ho he- finds married life Ute full of ot problems which are arc be beyond beyond be- be yond ond his solution Alcohol apparently apparently apparently brings him forgetfulness stimulation and mental relief that he ho does not pet get in other ways I Obviously the control of or such a a. condition must be basically psychological psychological psycho psycho- logical control and not merely an attempt to handle handlo the condition from the pl physical side |