Evening star., 1948-09-01
In Defense of Psychiatry

| Secretary to the President.
In Defense of Psychiatry
| To the Editor OF The Star:
| Obviously the writers of the recent letters to
The Star on the subject of psychiatry do not
understand what the nature and purpose of
pSychiatry are. I have read q number of
books on the subject and have been to a psy-
chiatrist for treatment.
| Psychiatry is not "panacea for all human
ills nor does it provide philosophy of life
that will permit us to remain consistently
happy" The psychiatrist simply assists the
patient in adjusting to his environment or in
making changes in that environment when
such changes are possible and desirable. The
patient solves his own problems. The psy-
chiatrist assists by asking the patient questions
and by guiding the conversation in such a
way that the patient can figure out for HIM
self the cause of and solution to his problems
We all have problems that can be solved
We all have obtained help from talking our
problems over with a friend. The patient
talks to psychiatrist as he would to friend,
but with the comfortable feeling that he knows
his condolences will be respected and that the
psychiatrist will not be annoyed or shocked at
anything he says. The outstanding advantage
in talking with a psychiatrist is that the psy-
chiatrist has devoted years of study and prac-
tice to preparing himself to help the patient
think through to the basic reasons for his
difficulties and from there think through to
logical and clear decision on what to do about
them.
The pSychiatrist assists the patient in solv-
ing his problems. He provides no "cure ALL
He cannot make the patient happy or make
MIN finer or more successful person, but he
can assist the patient who is honestly striving
to improve himself and to adjust to his en-
vironment. The patient who is not honest
with the psychiatrist and sincere in his desire
to overcome his own obstacles will get no help
from the psychiatrist.
May suggest that before criticizing psy-
chiatry. the critic take the trouble to inform
himself what psychiatry means, what it aims
to do and what its confessed limitations are?
Psychiatry, like everything else in this life is
imperfect. Phychiatrists admit that there is
much room for improvement in their profession
and are constantly striving to do better job.
EX-NEUROTIC.
Greedy Wealthy Men Condemned
1o the Editor of The Star
S. w. Kauchers interesting letter to The
Star, somehow recalls a statement by Schopen-
hauer This world is hell that surpasses
that of Dante. One needs only look at mans
treatment of his fellow men,"
Just why so many people persist in giving
their lower emotions free play at the expense
of their health and happiness and that of their
fellow beings will forever remain a mystery.
Even the lowly swine will leave the trough
when surfeited with swill thereby allowing
the other hogs to get their share), but wealthy
men often shove their less fortunate breth-
acid IN 4I,a 70 ~,
still more of this worlds goods.
Nevertheless, one should not lose sight Of
the fact that human beings possess the power
to turn from their besottedness and contact the
Supreme Source which confers peace and
harmony. In other words higher cosmic
consciousness can be developed and it COM
pletely transcends animality with its selfish
ness and greed.
Not great, like Caesar stained with blood,
but only great as I am good"
EDMUND K. GOLDSBOROUGH.
Community Movies Appreciated
To the Editor of The Star
I enjoyed your movies very much and I
hope you continue having them. One
good reason for this is that I and some OF
the other kids in the neighborhood can't
afford to go to other shows.
EVELYN CLARK.
Story in Genesis Questioned
To the Editor of The Star:
In the August u issue, you gave space to
a letter from Donald F. Haynes, protesting
your editorial Five Human Species and
indicating weariness Of the repeated claims
that human beings have been on the earth for
a million years or longer, without giving def
mite dates. He states that he prefers the
relatively simple Bible account.
Few will deny his right to take literally the
simple Bible story, but after all, if God Gre
ated the heavens and the Earth" the earth
ITSELF its strata its fossils, its bones which
evidence ancient animal life, and the evidence
locked up in the rocks, are the testimony of
God. Mr.. Haynes seemingly thinks that God
should have attached tags to the Trinil man,
the Piltdown man, the Wajak man and others,
giving the exact date by our system Of chro-
nology when each lived and his relation to
the others. The belief that all human beings
did not come from Adam and Eve but from
several primitive stocks Is quite widely ac-
cepted now.
Mr.. Haynes gets his simple faith from the
story in Genesis. When was Genesis written ,
and by whom? No acknowledged Bible scholar
pretends today to say definitely. Traditionally,
Genesis was written by Moses, but some are
q bit sceptical about Moses having written the
account of his own death and burial OF
course the time when Genesis was written can
be pinned down to within few hundred years,
but . few hundred years In the life Of ths