The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-02
Fear of Insanity
~ n. ApDlNoToN BRUCE,
Author Of "The Riddle OF Personality"
Psychology and Parenthood," etc.

have received letters from correspondents In
several states urging me to emphasize by re-
peated discussion the essential preventabilty OF
insanity and the folly OF giving way to secret
fear that one is doomed by heredity to become
insane.
One correspondent, writing from Iowa. tells a
pathetic story OF a long personal fight against
fear enxendered both by the fact that insanity
was In her family, and by suggestion or neigh
bors who thoughtlessly voiced In her hearing
their belief in the transmission OF insanity by in
heritance.
fortunately, instead of falling into q blind
panic, she reasoned the situation out. She writes
me:
Il have often said. when heard people say
Of such Ones, oh, they inherited 1t, that they
certainly did not inherit the disease. or they
would have had II when they were born. But
they do inherit the liability to II.
II have always been nervous and aiing. have
feared insanity. and several years ago came
near losing my mind. But by studying myself
and my environment, I gained knowledge and
self-control enough so have become much bet
ter"
The trouble IN that most people, when attack
I'd BY fear Of insanity. do not reason about II ~
calmly and determinedly as this woman has
done Instead, they begin to look for symptoms
In themselves. they brood. they worry. and grad.
ually thir fear becomes transformed into q haunt
ing obsession that they are certain to become
insane.
Then indeed they are on the way to complete
BREAKDOWN, wnich may make necessary thetr
detention IN an asylum for the insane. perhaps
for the remainder Of their days.
As ] write. the case Of q young man Of my
acquaintance comes to mind. Until the age Of
eighteen he was In excellent health. physically
and mentally. Then he became strangely ner-
vous lost weight, and found II dificult to sleep.
Rest and tonics did him no good, and he failed
| 10 benefit from consultations with competent
physicians. They could not guess fact which he
persisted in keeping TO himself, and knowledge
| Of which would have enabled them to help him
This was the fact that he had become OBJ
sessed with the belief that he doomed to be
| stricken with epilepsy, as near relative had
been. Night and day this thought was with him
until finally, in moment OF desperation, he
attempted 10 kill himself
| Then, In truth, his mind was wrecked, though
not permanently. But It was not until alter long
and bitter experience OF asylum life that mental
health returned 10 him, and ne was able once
more TO take his place among other men.
These wasted years of his life might have
been spared TO him HAD HE FRANKLY CON
lFfDED TO THE FIRST PHYSICIAN TO WHOM
He WENT THE NARROWING FEAR THAT
TWAS IN HIS MIND. This, in fact, Is the wisest
thing that any man woman can do II torment
| ed by a similar fear Of insanity.
Most victims Of this obsessive fear do exactly
as my acquaintance did--they keep to them
selves the dread they feel, conhding II TO no one
What they should do is to go without delay
TO a physician, preferably an expert in nervous
diseases, and tell him what II is they fear
! Nine times out OF ten even IL there be insanity
| In the family, their fears are groundless, PRO
lWDED THEY TAKE CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS
AS TO THE MODE OF LIFE THEY LIVE The
expert can give them the reinsurance they need
and can instruct them in the right mode o
living.
| n they will only accept his opinion and act
on the advice he gives them, they will be SAT,
enough.