The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-10

little responsibility or initiative
and as long as economic condi-
tons are prosperous he will never
show that he has inside him the
seeds of mental deterioration, al
coholism or complete madness.
Most men lead lives of quiet des-
peration, but so long as the des-
peration is quiet we never notice
them. When something makes it
active society has to take notice.
War is certainly the supreme
example of such an sctivator. We
are seeing in medical practice
plenty of examples Of the result
and it is not pessimism, but SIM
ply a realistic conclusion that one
of the great postwar problems
will be the mental incapacity of
large group of our citizens, the
numerical amount of which would
be difficult TO assess.
Report From England
From England we have a report
on this by DR.. James W. Mackin-
tosh, published by the Common
wealth Fund (The War and Men
tai Health in England). The Brit
ish had much more stress than we
air raids, life in shelters, evac-
uation Of children and separation
from parents. The report makes
no estimate Of the exact number
If mental wrecks there are in
England, but one gathers this is in
the millions.
In the United States the causa-
tive factors have been for the
young, induction into the army
and the prospect Of battle expert
snce, and for the older group,
change from peacetime work to
war work, overwork, grief from
losses Of loved ones, separations,
and the petty annoyances and re-
Itrictions Of rationing and priori-
ties. Only the very weakest went
down under the last.
What the psychiatrists see can
be classified under three headings.
/. The anxiety state. The nerv-
Gus breakdown. Consisting Of ex-
element, confusion, unaccount-
able actions, tremblings, changes
in pulse and breathing. These are
not necessarily serious problems
and when the crisis is over will
probably in most instances auto
matically adjust themselves.
2. Conversational breakdown.
These are gross mood disorders,
or the stimulation or fear Of some
organic disease. Usually they are
based upon an essential psyche
pathic personality and the war de-
veloped this as a Photographic
plate is made clear by the devel-
oper. They may respond to treat
ment or may become forever use
less.
3. The accentuation of previous
ly seen and recognized neurosea.
The hysteric, or tho person with
temper tantrums has more fire.
quent attacks for less real rea-
sons. The functional dyspeptie
takes more pills.
War Cures
One hopeful thing about this
last group is that the stresses and
responsibilities of the war cures
instead Of accentuates a lot Of
them. In such a case the fune-
tional dyspeptic finds, some pride
in the fact that he can eat any
thing, the headachers quit their
beefng and go 10 work, and the
insomnia sleeps like top,
One lesson from the British ex-
perience is that in treatment we
shall probably have TO take these
people in classes and treat them
by group psychology. The cases
are too numerous TO allow of in
naturalization.
Another lesson each Of rs can
take TO heart 1t is the tough
minded nation who are going TO
endure and you can take it If you
make up your mind to it Instead
of giving way and saying-"I can't
stand any more Of this. | am going
70 have a good old fashioned cry
you will find it is just as easy to
say-"For the sake of my neigh
bors and my friends and my coun-
try can stand up in the dark and
act as If it were light"