STUTTERING SOLVED --- PLUS OTHER IDEAS ALSO..

Hello One And All:    

Once again the following words are taken from my book called, --- The Human Mind.  Since I cannot reasonably expect most people, or even some people, to read my entire book, I am cutting it into pieces for your perusal.  I hope you find something valuable in these stories or something that rings a bell with you.  There are too many hiders in this world and not enough seekers.  --- BECOME A SEEKER!!!  Enter a comment on the following ideas.  

STUTTERING SOLVED

A problem that is well stated is half solved.

In reference to the inconclusive success rate for Psychotherapy on this subject, it is only necessary to review what some psychiatrists had to say about stuttering. --- “Stuttering is caused by the fear of the ego being overwhelmed by the all-powerful auto-eroticism. --- It is a form of gratification of the  original oral libido, which continues as a postnatal gratification in talking.”

“Stuttering is a pre-genital conversion (hysterical) neurosis in that the  early problems dealing with the retention and expulsion of the feces have been displaced upwards into the sphincters of the mouth”.   And another gem reads like this: --- “Stuttering represents the act of nursing at an illusory nipple.” 

The above quotes appear in Dr. Martin F. Schwartz’s book entitled, “Stuttering Solved.”  He helps his patients overcome relevant fears and they were cured.  None of the above nonsense has any value in the situation whatsoever.

Freud himself tried to treat stuttering and his misguided theories about how the human mind functions can be seen interwoven into the above nonsensical quotes.  With this approach to other more serious fears and distorted behavior, including mental illness, it is a wonder that anybody was helped by such nonsense, which enjoyed an aura of authenticity that became attached to the words, --- psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.

Dr. Sigmund Freud’s case history of little Hans, which is reported on pages 31 and 32, of the book called, --- Fear [Learn ing to Cope], shows that although Sigmund correctly diagnosed that the boy was suffering from fear, what really happened to him psychologically and what Sigmund thought was happening, was entirely different. 

No wonder that the success rate for psychoanalysis was minimal.  No wonder that other avenues for dealing with mental illness, such as biological damage or genetic damage, gained prominence over such ill conceived, convoluted and confusing theories.

In the introduction to her book entitled, “Psychotherapy: The Hazardous Cure”, Dorothy Tennov, who is a consulting psychologist, discusses the hazards an unsuspecting patient may fall prey to. --- “Psychotherapists intent on “hooking” a patient on long term and expensive therapy;  --- advice thoughtlessly given, ---careless misunderstanding and distortion of the patients true needs and wants.  An insidious domination by the therapist until psychotherapy becomes the single ruling factor in the patient’s life.”

In Patricia Neal’s autobiographical book entitled, “As I Am”, on page 132, appears the following words:  --- “I knew from the first session, that I was not going to like the Psychiatrist.  He had an insinuating smile that said there’s something that you’re not telling me.   But I was so convinced that I needed to talk to someone that I went back”.

“It would not have taken a genius to figure out why I was a wreck.   I loved Gary (Cooper) but he would not make a commitment.   No amount of probing my psyche was going to help.   I told the Doctor that I wanted a family of my own.   I wanted a house of my own.   I wanted a husband of my own; and furthermore; I wanted  to stop the sessions”.  He smiled that smile and said, --- ‘But you haven’t mentioned masturbation.’   I jumped to my feet and ran for the door.”  

Just exactly whose fear was the psychiatrist addressing when he made the above statement about masturbation?  Using Patricia’s expression, it doesn’t take a genius to see that he was addressing his own fear.  Not about masturbation, but about losing a wealthy, well-known actress as a client whom he had hoped to “hook” into a long-term analysis.

It was also entirely possible that he was looking forward to bragging about the high profile actress that he was able to attract.   In all probability he was looking forward to other important clients that he could attract and in the process, make more money for himself and his family.

He was probably unprepared and maybe even shocked by Patricia’s decisive action.  He wanted to make her think that he had some special insights to offer, to convince her not to reject him.  He was trying to impress her by his out of the blue comment about masturbation.

What we have here is a psychiatrist whose first priority was his own financial success.  If you really know what you are doing, and this applies to anyone in any profession, you don’t have to “hook” another person.  Your success in helping such a person, that you come into contact with because of your work, will generate the personal endorsements and necessary income you need to live comfortably.

Even though most of the psychiatric profession has a much better profile than the ones encapsulated above, since, for the most part, it does not see reactions to fear at the core of the mental health problem; its success rate, as it is presently constituted, will never propel it to the place of eminence that it so rightly deserves and which it should have attained many years ago.