Evening star., 1961-10-29
=a||out Phobia: How Dangerous Is 1t
By MYRA MACPHERSON
Star Staff Writer


As one psychatrist said Anyone jolly happy
about the world situation really ought to have his head
amined"
Of many psychatrists interviewed. all that
reaction of tension the world situation is normal and be-
dangerous only when the so intensely gpped
by fear that he emOtonay to function
in his day-today life.
This happen healthy person world tensions
threats will send him running to the couch the
hospital, they said
ITS individual thing" pointed People
get i'll because of Khushchev but because things hap
penng in their personal lives An already depressed person
get depressed thinking of Berlin faou etc. but
this is not the cause Of his illness"
The already i'll person may world tensions
cuse marshalS up falout, Berlin, and
justify the depression and fear with which he already lives
One with suicidal tendencies dreamed he walking the
Mall and an Abomb was dropped directly on him.
The sick person has something to focus his fears
There transferal of worries The Abomb becomes sub
situe Before that have BEEN bridges he
How does the normal react to his faOut fears?
Some handle them by the theory of denial sweeping all
such thoughts under mental rug.
Many people retain sanity by adopting the attitude this
cannot happen They function simply by not thinking about
and mmersng themselves in their daytoday living"
Some psychatrists notice increase in alcoholism in
upper and middle class executive levels and advance the
theory that this escapsm from their indirect
manifestation of their feelings of world problems
And some brought out optimistic side to the normal
persons feelings of anxiety
More and more there attitude that perhaps won't
all perish there a nuclear people giving thought
to hopeful solution said one.
Another added The world situation intensieS desire
to do something about the things lacking in his
life In moments ofinensy completely confronted
with himself The unmarried may feel need to
family become closer When the future is
there is tendency to put things off, to postpone But
there healthy feeling of mmedacyo Of doing the things
you've always wanted to do. living full life now.
European doctor who has lived the United States only
three months said:
Americans seem, at the moment quite realistically fac
ing the threat than Europe Your leaders talk
about it more, your newspapers write about ii
I'm Europe the passive philosophical pseudoelaxed at
ttude is for negative feeling think because
those who build defense the denial attitude already
intensely anxious Maybe it is because have through
the We know what it's like don't to remember
America, nation, has not gone through tyou talk
and think about it realistically perhaps because the
papers. with their outright statements would shock Euro
audience Our careful for the senStivy
of their readers; they know the panic they create
In America who. then, is the who can face todays
problems most adequately without either running
coapsng in panic?
The psychiatrists invariably The person most
content with his personal life.
The person who realistically face the situation,
is able to follow political discussions person