The Detroit times., 1917-08-01
Psychasthenia
ny ~. ADDINGrON BRUCE
Author 81 THE Riddle ~ Person
Atty. Psychology and
Parenthood. etc.

In connection with nervous trou.
bles.' an inquirer comments Il NO.
lice that The word psychasthenit is
nowadays much used Just what
does this word mean9
Is II the same as 'neurast6enia9 .
/ II not what Is The difference be-
tween n and 'neurasthenia?
Psychasthenia" Is word coirei
/ bv Or Pierre Janet. the famous
/ French medical psychologist As
used hN him and other specialists in
ihe treatment ~ mental and nervous
Diseases. II denotes condition al.
lied 20 neurasthcnia but not identi
cal with h..
Both psychasthenic and ncurasthe
] ME pllsnts are persons suffering
, from functional nervous weakness
But in neurs sthcnit this weakness is
shown mainly by physical symptoms
| In phychas henia Us predominant
symptoms are mental
\ ncurasthcnic person Is troubled
most az all hy persistent sensations
I of fatigue lie tires from slight TX,
eriion. Sleep brings him little rest
Ia n@uTaSthcnia. also. common
symptoms are headache. constipa.
| ton and obscure aches and pains In
various parts ~ the body. slight
noises may cause real distress
I There i q gen. al condition OF
heightened nervous irri'abni'y
All this when closely analyzed
will be found due 20 an over hXins
81 The attention on bodily sensa.
tions The neurastheue. 20 be cured
needs 20 De trained 90 stop thinking
OF these.
In psychasthenia the attention IS
likewise over nVed but on some
idea or set OF IDEAS rather than on
bodily sensations
The psychasthene may have e1-
aggcrstcd feelings OF fatigue Bat
In addition 90 these. or instead OF
these. be - tortured by strange oh.
sesslye thoughts
He Is tortured 'or example,. by
an abnormal dread " disease. There
are psychasthenes who actually wash
their hands so 90 100 tines a day
because 81 their dread OF disease
germs
or 'he psychasthene may be 40.
normalls afraid % being alone. OF
The dark. 81 closed places. OF open
spaces. OF water. % heights
He may ~ characterized by a
morbid conscientiOusness. perpetual
~ accusing himself % disgraceful
deeds, OF sacrllese. OF having com.
mltted the objectionable sin"
Again, 20 may % a victim Of
some mania for obssssiye acts. such
as touching lamp posts or trolley
poles. counting performing odd sym
bolic ceremonies And finally. he
may suffer from weird manias OF
.ndecision.
know OF one psychasihene who
every day took hours 20 dress be
cause he could not decide what
clothes he ought 20 wear
People thus afflicted are truly 20
be piued The temptation is strong
20 regard them az actually and In
en-ably insane Yet their symptoms
are merely indicative % functional
disorder. durable by the methods
o; modern medical psychology.
As a rule. Tho. u is by no means
40 EASY 20 cure psychas'henia - n
: "a 10 cure neura dhouia For now
II - nov lNFtN+f y ""
ee,sfnlly diver'ing the attention 70
external interests
This must BE- done. bat prellm
mary "a. y there "a often needed a
patient psycholcrical s'rcy % the
obsessiye thoughts and acts 20 get
A. their real. meaning and origin.
and 20 educate the psychasthene out
OF them.
For witch reason psychas'henic
patiants should make II rule. TO
consult no; general practitioners,
but physicians who have mad
psychological As we'll "a medical
irafninr Otherwise much valuable
/ limo NAV be lcst and mental suffer
/ Ing continued neediessiy