Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-02
A Self Tortured Mind.

T have been suffering unusual
mental tortures for two years. nave
been to physicians and psychoanalystS
vet something big and looming mas
been omitted from my case.
From 16 to 20 shaved up the SKIN
rather than down and shaved very
frequently, there being nc absolute neeo;
felt that my beard had been thlcKeneo
bv this. and being considered good
looking the thickness of my beard arose
as disturbing factor in my good ap-
.pearance. For the last year have been
shaving down only and it appears mucn
heater now.
II have felt that since I wasn't near
the top in my law work Il am IN the
last half year at law SCHOOL, sometnlng
was wrong with me; that since my
father was a big Talmudist should be
, near the top in the law schooi: l
couldn't understand this and Thought l
was doing injustice to my father pc
cause of some'organic trouble wltnn me.
at felt that wasn't capable OF much
mechanically; that Intellectually was
far ahead Of myself mechanically. l
therefore didn't feel in the mood even
tn do law work, since I saw pig,
outer. mechanical world about me OF
which I was no part. And here am
Studying over moldy books and words.
T wondered if could make physician
II have two uncles, both physicians):
sI remembered a few brilliant m
cidents before the age OF IL, sucn as
my being the only one IN the arlGnlneeiG
class to solve problem. Since recali
NO brilliant incidents since moved 10
New York. and since then 03 to l4,
began to shake my head violently ana
to grind my teeth during sleep. Altnougii
stopped shaking my head until one
year and a half ago, when it came PACK
I have continued grinding my teetn
ever since. didn't sleep for more tnan
three hours night for two years, put
recently six to seven hours. mao oaiA
rings under my eyes incessantly.
Reply.
I have omitted as much as nave e
| printed of this letter and I print IL
mainly in response to several requests
| to indicate what mean by disordered
mind which yet may recover ana Is
I not of the kind that we ordinarily as
sociate with mental disorder that ols-
| qualities. For what many OF my reaoerS
find it hard to understand is that
mind as seriously troubled as this one
and in a way that clearly marks II
as abnormal, should none the less De
| able to go on living much like the resi-
OF us ana, as III IiilS CdoC, oSoeNAAJ >~~~F
| I'D the study of law. This young man
| is now travelling abroad and may return
| in much better health. He viii man.
age the varied business of travel; and
| few of his fellow passengers will sus-
| pect that he is in any way abnormal;
| though those who find their way to MS
| acquaintance will note him as peculiar
| His inner and his outer life may &c
on at strikingly different levels: and he
| can conceal his troubled condition Tor
| the most part. Such is the way OF
| functional nervous disorder.
The details Of this case ] do not as
vet know; It seems to lie close to the
borderland and the issue Is uncertain
| But the chances are that in due course
| most of these perplexities will be
straightened out and that he will ind
himself suffciently adjusted to some
/ activity that will lead to a fairly normal
| life. To this end he must find compen-
sation for these inner troubles by alb
sorption in actual work. If he cannot
| do SO. he may land anywhere.
| In normal persons there is an ADJUST
ment between the world of feeling and
/ the world of doing; that is why they
are normal and happy. "A normal
amount Of disharmony we all know; we
are not always happy. Those who are
partially susceptible to emotional dis
d