The Detroit times., 1917-08-01
Psychasthenia
nv ~. ADDINGroN BRUCE
Author 81 The Riddle OF Person
atty. Psychology and
Parenthood." etc.

In connection with nervous trou
oles. an inquirer comments. I no.
! tice that the word psychasthenit is
| nowadays much used Just what
/ does this. word meanf
is n The same az 'ncurasthonia %
/ II not. what Is the difference be.
tween u and 'neurasthenia9'
"Psychasthenia" is a word coined
/ by Dr Pierre Janet the famous
French medical psychologist As
used by him and other specialists IN
the treatmen, OF mental and nervous
diseases, n denotes condition All
lied 90 neurasthenia but not idenu
cal with a.
Both psychasthenic and ncgraStho.
ME patients are persons suffering
! from a functional nervous weakness
But IN neuraSthenit this weakness IS
shown mainly by physical symptoms
In phychasthenia. rs predominant
symptoms are mental
\ neurasthenic person H. troubled
most az all b persistent sensations
OF fatigue H. tires from slight TX
eFtion. sleep brings him little rest
in ncurlsth"nia, also. common
symptoms are headache. constipa.
ton and obscure aches and pains I'm
various parts of fhe body slight
noises may cause real distress
There Is gcnrrl condition or
heightened me- Fou- rritShNr
AT This. when closely analyfed
Will be Found due 20 an over GVlrg
% the attention or bodily SEN
tor7 The neurasths-r 20 De cured
needs 20 DO trained 30 stop thinking
OF these
ln sychasthcnia The attention 4.
likewise 0verfxed. bu, on some
idea or sct 20 IDEAS rather tkan on
bodily sensations
The psychasihene may have *
sggerated feelings on fatigue bu'
IN addition 20 these or instead OF
those. De IS tortured by strange 90
sessiye thoughts
he IS tortured, Tor example b,
an abnormal dread ~ disease There
are psychasfhencs who actually wash
their hands 30 20 700 times day
because O., their dread OF disease
germs
Or,-Ahe psychasfhenc may bo 40
normally AFRAID IT being alou, ot
me dark. % closed places ~ open
spaces. of water % heights
Ho may De- characterized by
morbid consclentiousness perpetual
~ accusing himself % Gisrracefu'
deeds. ~ -acrilege, OF having com
mitted the unpardonahle sin
Agais. pc may he a victim Of
some mania FOR ohsessiye acts. such
a. touching lsmpposts or trolley
poles couuting performing odd SYM
bolic ceremonies md. finally De-
may suffer from weird manias ~
INDIGESTION
know - one psychas,hene who
every day took hours to dress b.
cause Dc could NOT decide What
clothes ne ought 20 wear
People thus afflicted are truly 20.
DO pitt.d The temptation IS strong
20 regard hem az actually and In
curably insane Yet their symptoms
are merely indicative % functional
disorder durable by the methods
of modern medical Psychology
As rule Tho ~ So os no means
so easy 20 cure psychasihcnia - Il
O. 20 cure nei6as'hcnia For now
II is nor merels 3 question ~ sue
cessfully dlyerting the attention 20
external interests.
This mssf be done bat preiim
mary 90 n there is often needed
patient psychological study OF ~"
obsessive thoughts and acts. 20 cei
A. their real meaning and origin
and 10 educate The psychasthene out
az them
/ Far which reason psychasthenic
patients should make II rule 20
consult not general practitioners.
but physicians who htve ra'
METEOROLOGICAL as well az medical
training Otherwise much valuable
tlrue NAV DO lost. and mental suffer
Ing continued needlessly