The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-11
~ SELF-CONTROL VS.. MEDICINE
Patients Can Do Much Toward Cur
ing Nervous Diseases by Ignor-
;-o Yr,,o,,11an

'"Self-control as g. cure for nervous dis
eases is q remedy more effacacious than
medicine at times,'' said a prominent
Washington practitioner. land since it's
exercise is a matter of mere habit, will
tel you about it. ,-...
Nervousness is disease, and nerv-
GUS persons, especially women, are a tor
ture to themselves, an object of pity on
the part Of some and Of contempt on the
part of others. Nervousness in itself, nerv-
GUS prostration in its various stages and
the different forms of nervous fright and
irritability largely result from persons al
lowing themselves to yield to certain
channels Of thought which have fear as a
basis. -.
TT makes slight difference what this
element of fear may be, whether the loss
of money, or beloved one, position, or
what else, the subject nurses this. dread
little by little, until, except in the case of
a sudden and powerful shock, impercep-
tibly, but with .insidious certainty, the
nerve centers feel the strain and ,gradu-
ally give way. The subject begins to suf-
fer loss Of appetite, sleeplessness inter-
venes, loss Of flesh necessarily results and
a whole train of evils follow in rapid Sc
quence, from becoming a burden to one
SELF family and friends in going around
In perpetual state of nervous irritability
or melancholia, to complete collapse in bed
from nervous prostration.
Il While patients will yield to- medical
treatment in some instances the beneficial
effects of sedatives or tonics are often
neutralized by the patient refusing to ex-
ercise self-control and in nursing the par
ticular trouble which may be preying upon
the mind. When expostulated with the
invariable reply is, 7 can't help. it, -,
Persons of nervous temperament and
in various stages of nervous diseases will
be astonished to see how quickly the ply
sical will respond to a determination of
familiar thought which constitute
the subjects troubles. They will
find that the brain may be said to be a
creature of habit, in that certain lines of
thought will force themselves and often
at certain times Of the day more promin-
emily, as in the morning. Endeavor to de-
velop a feeling of don't CARE and main
tain it, Once the subject determines to
curb and control thought the brain will
be found to yield to control, slowly at first,
but surely when the subject persists as
much as his or her feeble will power al
lows IN not thinking about t. e.
TO aid in this great fundamental cure
OF nervousness and nervous troubles travel
largely conduces, because, as simple as it
is, when persons travel they have to do
things they do not wish to do entailing a
change of thought, consequent relaxation
of strain of the brain cells, more or less
physical exercise and a change Of air and
scene. ,
Fifty per cent, perhaps more, of nery-
Gus troubles are aggravated and prolonged
by remaining amid familiar surroundings
and among the Immediate members of the
family, where their weaknesses. often
silly and foolish, are coddled and hurnored,
until the subject believes himself or her
self desperately i'll or finally develops a
real disease.
If nervous people who have not
reached this stage only knew what a nui-
ance they are and how readily their irri-
liability would disappear if they would hold
themselves up to their irrespective vision,
determine to control themselves and not
allow their whims, habits or snappy tenn
pers to control them, they would become
prettier and stouter women, and stronger
and better men. They would find that self
control is a habit, as it becomes a habit
for women to nag, fret or show temper
and for a man to feel that he is perpetu-
ally going to lcse his position, or suffer
loss in his business
One must persevere in the self-contro1
cure for nervousness, but once the nerves
are whipped into mental subsection pa
tients gain flesh and strength and wonde,
how they could have been so weak. The
legend, to be Inscribed upon the nervous
persons banner is short but effective
don't yield"