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(1949). Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 18:409-410

Mental Hygiene. XXXII, 1948: Psychosomatic Medicine: Clinical and Research Implications. O. Spurgeon English. Pp. 560–567.

Joseph Lander

Studies of patients with psychosomatic disease show first, that large quantities of superfluous or misdirected emotional energy are acting through the body or a body system, disturbing normal physiological activity; or second, a body organ is symbolizing an emotional problem with such intensity as to impair normal physiological function. The 'hater' can be delinquent, hypertensive, migrainous or suffering from gastrointestinal disturbance. The longing to be taken care of is seen in the depressives, the alcoholics, the addicts, the neurasthenics and hysterics. The symptoms cry for many patients who fear to cry or otherwise reveal emotion. The practicing physician needs to be acquainted with these misdirected energies and to understand how childhood training and education failed to channelize the forces properly, how childhood needs for love were never met, childhood hate and fear never neutralized.

It is most important to acquire, early in life, certain personality characteristics. One

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is the ability to tap the warmth of other people. Another is to develop various techniques for meeting disappointment and frustration. A third is a basic trust that one can obtain the good will of most people if one works hard at it. A fourth is a recognition of the fact that one needs the friendship of other people, and the ability to use it when one finds it.

'No one group of equal numbers could do a more effective job of mental hygiene than a well-informed body of pediatricians who understood the needs of the personality.'

WARNING! This text is printed for the personal use of the PEPWeb subscriber and is copyright to the Journal in which it originally appeared. It is illegal to copy, distribute or circulate it in any form.
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Article Citation

Lander, J. (1949). Mental Hygiene. XXXII, 1948. Psychoanal. Q., 18:409-410