The Detroit times., 1915-11-02
Fear of Insanity
~ n. AoDINGToN 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 preventability 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 long personal tight against
| fear engendered both by the fact that insanity
was in her family, and by suggestion Of neigh
bors who thoughtlessly voiced In her hearing
their belief in the transmission OF insanity by in
heritance.
Fortunately. instead Of falling into a blind
panic, she reasoned the situation out She writes
me-
| Il have often said. when I heard people say
OF such ones. oh. they inherited it,, 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 il.
II have always been nervous and aling have
feared insanity, and several years ago | came
near losing my mind. But by studying myself
and my environment. I gained knowledge and
sef-control enough so | have become much bet
ter"
The trouble is that most people when attack
ed by fear OF insanity do not reason about IL as
calmly and determinedly as this woman has
done Instead. they begin 10 look for symptoms
In themselves, they brood they worry, and grad
ually thir fear becomes transformed into haunt
ing obsesson that they are certain to become
insane.
Then indeed they are on the way to complete
detention in an asylum for the insane. perhaps
for the remainder Of their days.
As ] write, the case Of a young man OF my
acquaintance comes TO mind. Until the age OF
eighteen he was In excellent health, physically
end mentally. Then he became strangely ner-
vous. lost weight, and found IL dificut 10 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 know ledge
OF which would have enabled them to help him
This the fact that he had become oh.
sessed with the belief that he was doomed to be
stricken with epilepsy as a near relative had
been. Night and day this thought with him
until finally, In a moment OF desperation, he
attempted TO kill himself
| Then, in truth. his mind was wrecked though
not permanently. But II was not until aiter long
and bitter experience OF asylum life that mental
lhealth returned to him, and he 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.
lFlDED TO THE FIRST PHYSICIAN TO WHOM
HE WENT THE NARROWING FEAR THAT
WAS IN HIS MIND. This. in fact. Is the wisest
thing that any man or woman can do II torment
ed by a similar fear OF insanity
Most victims OF this obsessive fear do exactly
a. my acquaintance did--they keep TO them
selves the dread they feel con6ding il to no one
wnat they should do s TO go without delay
10 a physician, preferably an expert in nervous
diseases, and tell him what II is they fear
Nine times out OF ten, even II there be insanit,
lin the family, their fears are groundless PRO
lvIDED THEY TAKE CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS
AS TO THE MODE OF LIFE THEY LIVE. The
lexpert can give them the reinsurance they need
living
u they will only accept his opinion. and act
on the advice he gives them. they will be safe
Ienough.