"To my mind, in dealing with individuals, only individual understanding will do."ÃÂ I was wonderfully impressed with the way Yung dealt with his patients. The above quote, showing his philosophy, is what set him apart from his colleagues. His curiosity led him to deal with the patients not as "us and them"ÃÂ but to listen to their stories and try to help. He knew that their stories had a link with their problems and he could better help their situation only if he could understand what had gone on in the past.
"For heaven's sake, don't tell the woman any such thing. That will only make her still crazier."ÃÂ(p116) The whole situation in the mental hospitals and how his colleagues dealt with the patients makes me wonder. I wonder if there had been more doctors around like Yung than maybe not so many people would have spent their entire lives drugged and in this kind of facility.
Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis, smoking ...
Yung Kee on Wellington Street at Central
Statue of Sigmund Freud in London, with the Tavist...I liked how Yung stated in response to this kind of potential reaction from his colleagues: "unequivocal rules scarcely exist in psychology."ÃÂ I liked this because I feel that unequivocal rules can scarcely exist at all. I've always had an inkling that once something is built or based upon rules it is fallible. Like the ten commandments, (this isn't a very good example) the way they are constructed, telling you what not to do, insinuates that you will want to do all these things. I just don't think it makes much sense. But anyways, lets get back to Yung.
I thought the case with the woman who had murdered her friend to marry her husband was interesting and even more so Yung's take on it. First, I thought it peculiar the incidents that followed her marriage. The fact that her husband died early, the daughter left without contacting, the woman's horses threw her so she had to give up riding, and her dog became stricken with paralysis. All this unfortunate happenings seemingly right in a row. Makes you think, would her husband of died that early if he was still with her friend? Would all the rest have gone on as well? Was this just coincidence? Or was something punishing her for her crime? Who knows? But it is something to think about. I liked the way Yung described the situation: "For one who commits such a crime destroys his own soul."ÃÂ Yung goes on to wonder what might have become of this woman who stepped in and out of his office. He considers the possibility of suicide; "I cannot imagine how she could have gone on living in that utter loneliness."ÃÂ Yung doesn't estimate the misery of loneliness although he himself is a loner. I have always thought that perpetual loneliness is one of the saddest conditions on earth. Yung's understanding of people who are so unlike himself is wonderful to me.
The story of the woman who had been in love with a shoemaker broke my heart. The poor woman spent 50 years of her life almost catatonic in an institution. Her motions with her hand the only connection with the man that she had loved. And when this love had made itself obvious as unrequited, she had "gone off"ÃÂ. This story is so sad; this man didn't love her back and look what became of her. I hope she's doing much better now.
"Only if the doctor knows how to cope with himself and his own problems will he be able to teach the patient to do the same."àThis sound similar to: " You aren't capable of loving someone until you love yourself"ÃÂ. I friend of mine just broke out of a relationship very early on. This girl had taken a liking to him and so of course we were all very happy for him since this girl was both beautiful and intelligent. My friend, although he did like her, discussed with me his feelings that this relationship was doomed and he needed to cut it off quickly. He felt they were just heading for a brick wall. It had nothing to do with her, he knew that because of his current state of depression and how his self-confidence had been far below normal lately, there was no way that he could have been capable of contributing to a healthy relationship when he himself was in poor health. I like to find these universal truths that apply to so many situations. Moving on"æ.
I must say, Freud's first comment; "How in the world were you able to bear spending hours and days with this phenomenally ugly female?"ÃÂ Left me with the reaction, "So it is true!"ÃÂ Freud is a misogynistic pig! Oh well.
I found much truth to Yung's take on jealous women. "Women who do not really love their husbands are jealous and destroy their friendships. They want the husband to belong entirely to them because they themselves do not belong to him."àI'm sure every one can stand witness to this kind of situation at one point or another. Hmmmm"æwhy are woman like this? "The kernel of all jealousy is lack of love."àHow true How true.
English: Entrance to Freuds consulting room
Français : Une leçon clinique à la Salpêtrièr...
Betty Friedan, American feminist and writer.