Illness

“A Tribute to Dr. Louis Cholden”

Louis Cholden died at the age of thirty-eight in an automobile accident. He had been on his way to moderate a panel of the 1956 convention of the American Psychiatric Association. The loss was ours, as he would have become one of the greatest leaders in psychiatry and psychoanalysis. His writings are among the mere handful in the field that truly proclaim love.

“The Wonder Drug”

Many years ago, I worked in the back wards of a psychiatric hospital. These housed the high-security, dangerous, quasi-murderous patients, and the wards were kept locked. The inmates were often there with court certificates because they had beaten people up, and far worse. Before I worked on those wards, the doctors went in only when a flag was raised by the nurses to signal that it was safe. I decided that if it was safe enough for the nurses, it must be the same for the doctors. So I started going in frequently.

“A Commentary on Psychosomatic Medicine”

Who can ever establish when a case of heart disease really started? Was it with the first change in electrical activity, was it with the first symptom of pain in the chest, or was it when subtle biochemical changes occurred or when there were subtle pathological changes in the blood vessels of the heart, perhaps many years before the patient ever had a complaint?

“The True Cure”

When a doctor approaches a patient he must think not only of the mechanics of the physical cure, but also of aiding the person in healing his spirit. This cannot be learned in medical school, it is not in the medical textbooks, nor does it qualify as a diagnosis for insurance companies. But it is what really matters.

“Treatment or Therapy?”

While treatment provides symptom relief, it is therapy that therefore provides the ultimate cure.

“His Chosen Path”

When I meet with a sufferer from any disease I recommend that he read all the books on it that he can find. And then choose the particular approach that appeals to him.

I reassure him that I will assist him along his chosen path. But – and it’s a big but – it must be his free choice.