Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-03

These two sentences sum up
patient schizophrenic-at St.
back from his private, unreal
world and is nearly ready to go
home well again.
He was speaking to his group
therapy class during discussion
of the effects of the new tran
quilizing drugs.
He knows that, If it weren't
for chlorpromazine and its quiet
ing effects on his mind, he would
still be in his troubled world
battling the Satan his mind con-
Ijured up to blame for his malad-
Ijustment.
He has been at st. Elizabeths
for more than six months and
is still taking the drug which
has caused psychiatrfc wonders
Until chlorpromazine Gained
him, he was unable to talk CO.
herently about his mental state
with pSychiatrists.
Opened Door to Cure
Even after he was Gained, his
imaginary Satan still prosecuted
him but his reactions were not
as disturbed. Gradually. he was
made to see that the Satan was
all in his mind.
people were grabbing at me
prosecuting me, or it seemed
that way" he told his therapy
group.
Il needed something to blame
all of this on. What did I find
but Satan in the Bible. He
seemed to dupe everybody to get
at me
II was going through a period
lof maladjustment when I solved
my problem in an undesirable
way. I took it all out on those
about me.
Then the drug relieved my
tension.
Chlorpromazine didn't cure
him. But it Quoted him to The
point where he could cooperate
and realize his mental condition
He wants to "go back to the out
side" Before. he wanted only t.
withdraw into himself as far a.
possible from the real world.
In the same class, a youni
woman was pacing nervousl!
back and forth. What wa
troubling her withdrawn per,
sonality hasn't come out yet.
Electric shock therapy wa
tried in vain. She couldn't b.
reached by psychotherapy.
Becoming Quieter
Now, doctors have started hel
on chlorpromazine and she is
becoming quieter. The constant
pacing is an early effect of the
drug. 1t will disappear gradu-
ally as she is continued on it.
AS these i'll people return tc
reality, the hospital staff must
prepare them for the outside
world. Just as with Rip Van
Wrinkle. who awoke to a new
world after 20 years of sleep
conditions for these persons
seem different.
DR.. Jay L. Hoffman,, first as
ISistant physician there. is in part
responsible for the home-like
atmosphere of wards which used
to be mere places of confinement
for violent patients who could
not be reached by psychotherapy
Some Unreachable
Although there are still such
wards for some patients, many
who were there are gone. The
drugs don't reach every mental
patient. They don't help the
senile. Sometime they help to
varying degrees.
I So, the extent of the home
like atmosphere of the ward
varies with the condition of the
group of patients in it.
OF the $500 employees at the
hospital, 1000 or more are nurses
and attendants.
Ward doctors are encouraged
to hold meetings with their
STATS to discuss patient prob
lens.
Group therapy sessions are
more frequent now that a larger
number of persons--thanks to
the drugs-are able to undergo
them.
Groups of 80 to 40 patients
gather together several times
each week to discuss their
symptoms. They receive en-
couragement from each other
and the staff. Most patients in