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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS PART I United Press International (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of four dispatches in which Dr. George S. Stevenson, a noted psychiatrist and presi dent-elect of the World Feder ation for Mental Health, dis cusses what the layman should know about mental illness. Dr. Stevenson, of Red Bank, N. J., is a past president of the Amer 'lean Psychiatric Association.) “ By George S. Stevenson, M.D. Consultant, National Association . for Mental Health When we have an ulcer we feel pain. We may relieve it with a drug or a selective diet, and follow a regime of do’s and don’ts to encourage the healing process. With variations, we guard ourselves against many illnesses. Our century of med ical achievement has taught us i-how to give ourselves the best T possible chance when sickness - threatens. And that includes mental sickness. Mental and emotional disor ders are sicknesses: They are disturbances of function that can be diagnosed and treated. And the earlier many of them are treated, the better the chances of recovery. So there are things you should know to protect yourself and your family against mental illness. But you may ask, “Why me?” and declare you aren’t “ready for the booby hatch” and that your Aunt Sara may be “eccen tric” but “not off her rocker." These are flip whistlings in the dark. Perhaps because the very thought of mental disorder fills you with alarm; perhaps be cause you have never really dis carded the superstitions and stigmas which still cloud the subject—in spite of the under standing that has broken through the miasma of miscon ceptions that have obscured mental illness throughout the centuries. The first step toward mental health is to acknowledge that a mental disorder is nothing that one should be ashamed of, that it can happen within the circle of your family and friends. If it is hard to believe, ask your self if you don’t know someone who has been mentally or emo tionally sick enough to need care in a hospital or clinic, cr Letters to the Sentinel (Continued from Page 4) proposed and the location does the least damage of any feas ible alternative; c) a one hundred fifty foot wide clearing is required through all forested areas; d) where the land is denud ed of trees suitable grass or other cover will be substitut ed to prevent soil erosion and reduce the unsightliness of the installation; e) a public hearing has been, or will be, held to permit all affected property owners or other interested persons to present pertinent information which should be taken into ac count before the Company is given the authority to invoke condemnation procedures or proceed with construction. Your response to this in quiry will be greatly appre ciated. Oscar W. Maier cc: Montgomery County Sen tinel Public School System The public school system of the United States is not just another school system but a democratic institution which de serves the same esteem and allegiance as the Presidency, the Congress and the Supreme Court. No American has any more right to evade taxes for public schools than he has to evade taxes used to pay the salary of our President or a member of the Supreme Court. Arguing against Federal aid to education from honest objec tion is one thing and arguing that any American should be excused from paying taxes to support the public schools is quite another. No American, regardless of faith or race, has the right to evade his duty to support the public schools it doesn’t matter whether his chil dren go to school in Rome or Timbuktu. Some of this anti public school propaganda going around borders on subversion. We could end up like Spain with all education in the hands of the church and all government in the hands of a dictator. Public schools educate our children for life in a republic where church and state are separate and where narrow sec tarian loyalties do not intrude into our government or the pub lic schools. Like the Constitu tion, oui public schools encour age all faiths and creeds to live together in harmony. Our pub lic schools are "Godless” in the sense that they espouse no sec tarian viewpoints. Our fore fathers knew of the evils of bringing the clash of narrow sectarian creeds into the educa tion of our children or into the government. Our public schools teach that all religions have privately. And then absorb these facts: On any day in the year, there are as many people hospital ized with mental illness as with all other diseases combined. And half of all medical and surgical cases treated in hos pitals or privately are primarily emotional or complicated by emotional factors. An emotional or mental dis order may be as mild as a head cold or. as severe as a coronary. In other words, mental ill ness and mental health aren’t ‘black and white.’ Between are every color and shade of the spectrum, gradation from the quite normal person to the mentally sick person for whom there is little hope—at present. In recent years scientists have discovered ways to treat disorders once considered hope less. and long range research continues to probe for the fac tors—the ultimate mystery of the different kinds of mental illness, the cause or causes of psychoses about which we now knew little. Psychoses and neuroses are the two major groupings of mental and emotional illness. Psychoses are severe mental illnesses. They are found in all parts of the world, primitive or civilized; many of them are un related to standards of living, ideologies and other enviorn mental factors. The psychotic is forced by the factors, partially or totally, into a world of unreality. He often has periods of normality; the change from clarity to unreal ity can occur within the hour. Some victims of psychosis may become adjusted and live fairly normal lives, raising families and holding jobs. When one meets them one is aware of ‘oddness’ or ‘strangeness’ rather than derangement. We shall return to the psy choses when we come to the specific problems of the young, the middle-aged and the elderly. Many more people suffer from neuroses, and fortunately, in certain respects, we know much more about these emotion al disorders. But before we go on to ex plore them, let me settle a doubt that may be large in your mind. Every one of us behaves abnormally, unrealistically and equal rights before the law and that no religious group may im pose its peculiar beliefs on others. Ours is a “secular” gov ernment and public school sys tem with the church and the home providing religious train ing. In Holland, a predominantly Protestant country, government aid to schools has helped create three school systems, Protes tant, Catholic and public. Four out of five Dutch children at tend religious schools. The re ligious divisions learned in school carry over into adult life, creating Catholic and Pro testant labor unions and politi cal parties. It could happen here! Lester L. Kimble Trampolines As a Montgomery County high school student, I would like to disagree with Mrs. Mor rison’s attitude on trampolines and rebound tumbling. Any aspect of physical educa tion has an element of physical danger involved. Students could be injured participating in any of the sports, games, and activi ties taught by the schools. The only way to lessen this element of risk is to adopt and practice basic safety rules. Using the trampoline necessi tates care and a proper attitude by the student. The first points taught in my physical education class during our unit on re bound tumbling were the cor rect way to get on and off the trampoline and the correct way to conduct oneself while jump ing. As a result, a student using common sense ran almost no risk of injuring herself. I can think of no substitute for rebound tumbling to teach coordination and balance. Obvi ously, different students will ex cel in different types of physi cal education. To allow only the best students to use the tram poline, as Mrs. Morrison sug gests, would be to discriminate against those who might have a definite aptitude for tumbling, although not being especially good at team sports. The major ity of students (in my own school) enjoy the trampoline. It would be unfair to deny it to them because of a few unfor tunate accidents. There is always the chance that there will be an accident This, however, is not the fault ot the student, the equipment or the teacher, In particular. Accidents can and do occur in baseball, soccer, hockey, foot ball, basketball, or track and field, but there is no demand to abolish these. If students will exercise caution on the tram poline. they will find that it is not dangerous or risky, but fun. A Student even irrationally on occasion. It doesn’t mean that we are emotionally or mentally sick. None of us is immune to dis turbed behavior when our indi vidual instincts and desires col lide with the taboos and tradi tions of society. No social sys tem is perfect, nor can it ever be from the viewpoint of the in dividual. Ideally, society can only seek to give as much free dom as possible, to the greatest number And enforce sacrifices of individual liberty necessary to avoid anarchy and chaos. With occasional transient ex ceptions, the normal person learns to bend to the reality of this compromise. Neuroses oc cur when we fail to resolve our emotional conflicts and repress them into our unconscious. The neurotic doesn’t lose touch with the real world, but he sees it out-of-focus, as he fears it to be or wishes it to be. He usually sees himself as in ferior and helpless, and others as stronger and sure of them selves. There may be little basis in fact for the neurotic's feel ings of self-doubt, insecurity, fear of being hurt. But that doesn’t make these feelings less painful. Driven to overcome them, whatever the neurotic does is apt to be exaggerated: He is too anxious, too afraid, too sus picious and angry; and with the swing of the pendulum; he be comes too friendly, too trusting, too enthusiastic, too generous, brave and self-sacrificing. When he cannot bear the pain of dealing with his emotions, he may develop an uncon Laytonsville... (Continued from Page 9) Edward Blunt at lunheon and cards Wednesday, April 26. • • • Mrs. Phillip Brown, Mrs. Guy Linthlcum, Mrs. Donald War field, Mrs. Oscar Baker and son, Dennis, and Mrs. Raymond Kemp visited Mrs. Margery Spooner, Mrs. Kemp’s sister, and her daughter, Mrs. Kenneth Hughes, at their home in Capi tal Heights, Md., Thursday, April 27. • • • Mrs. William E. Signor was a patient In the Lutheran Hos pital In Baltimore last week. * • • The Parent-Teacher Associa tion of Laytonsville School will meet at 8 p.m. May 9 at the school. Officers will be elected for the coming year. Final plans for the Spring Festival to be held June 2 will be made. All parents are urged to attend. The speaker will be Robert Morrow, school board member representing this area. • • There will be two polio clin ks held at Laytonsville Elemen tary School Wednesday, May 3 and Wednesday, June 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. Children and adults who have not had their booster shots are urged to attend. 6 Miss Fire Prevention’ Contest in Takoma Park A beauty contest to select “Miss Fire Prevention of-1961” for the City of Takoma Park is being sponsored by the city's Fire Department, Division of Fire Protection, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Takoma Park Suburban Trust Conference Held Third annual Women’s Con ference on Business last weekend featured a talk by Elizabeth Rudel Smith, treasurer of the United States, at the University of Maryland. The conference, attended by more than 500 women, was sponsored by Suburban Trust Company in cooperation with the University. J. Robert Sher wood, Suburban president, was in charge of the day-long ses sion. Montgomery (Continued from Page 4) responsibility over a budget twice as large as their own.” This is probably the most amazing opinion in the great number of amazing opinions expressed by Dr. Harold F. Breimyer. It will be interesting to see how individual members of the County Council react to this attitude expressed by the President of the Board of Ed ucation. • • • Every other year the Mont gomery County Press Associa tion holds a publicity and Pub lic Relations Workshop. Wo hope such a project is planned for early this fall. There is a great need for a program which win teO some of the publicity chairmen the five famous W: What, Where, When, Who and Why. And a few tips on public rela tions would help also. scious stratagem to side-step them. This stratagem, if contin ued, becomes his neurotic way of life. The pattern may be escape: Avoiding people; taking long flights into fantasy, day dream ing, watching TV for hours; drinking; avoiding change, re sponsibilities of a new job or marriage. Or attack: The chip on the shoulder; sensitivity to advice; hostility sights set for any tar get-children, mate, employer, fellow worker, neighbors and friends. Then there is the better-than you-are-pattern; Striving for dis tinction as a scholar or power in politics; seeking wealth to display superiority or women to prove manliness. It’s normal to try to excel, but the neurotic pushes himself beyond endur ance and others without mer cy. And in the end this ruth less accomplishment means little: He remains unconvinced and looks for a new way to prove himself. The egocentric pattern is easy to recognize—in others! Talk ing endlessly about frustrations, fears, hopes and achievements; not listening when others talk. The self-centered neurotic can not share. Friendship ,if he can find it, is a one-way street. He expects to be given time, atten tion, concern and money. Of course, these neurotic pat terns overlap, as do symptoms of neurosis, which we’ll talk about in the next dispatch. (Next: The signs of a neu rosis.) Mis. Paul Oland was a pa tient in Washington Sanitarium last week. • • • The newly organized Laytons ville Lions Club held its first dinner meeting at St. Paul’s Methodist Church Thursday, April 27. • • * Mrs. Thomas A. Garrett of near Darnestown and Mrs. Bryan Z. Kile represented the Farm Bureau Associated Wom en at the Maryland State Weights and Measure Confer ence held Tuesday, April 25, at the Sheraton-Belvedere Hotel, Baltimore. • • • Mf. and Mrs. George Pope and Mrs. Polly Burns were among the guests at a dinner Sunday, April 23, given by Mr. ana Mrs. Alfred Burns at their' home in Wheaton. * * * Mrs. Lindsey McElfresh was a patient in Suburban Hospital last week. • • * The sympathy of the commu nity is extended to Mrs. Julian C. Clatterbuck in the death of her mother, Mrs. Jeannette Pet tit Stranley. Mrs. Stranley died Tuesday, and was buried in Ar lington on Friday. Volunteer Fire Department. The contest is scheduled to stimulate interest in all citizens , in fire prevention, according to S. J. LaScola, municipal fire chief, from whose office further details are available. X-Ray Unit Schedule Set The Christ Seal X-ray unit this week will be at the follow ing locations: Today, Olncy Elementary School, 3 to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Spencerville General Store, 3 to 8 p.m.; Thursday, Bethesda, Ar lington rd., A&P, 3 to 8 p.m,; ; Friday. Congressional Plaza. 3 to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Silver Spring, Fenton and Pershing, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. mm* COLLEGE BOUND -- Cadet Brinton Smith, of Rockville, currently a student at Ran dalph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, Va., has been accepted for study at Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., where he will be enrolled next September. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Smith, 9001 Lux la., he has been ac tive In military and athletic circles at FUndolph-Macon and I is a first lieutenant in the , cadet battalion. Higher WSSC Billings Blamed On Snowfalls Larger than usual bills being received by some Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission customers are blamed on last winter’s heavy snowfalls. The weather hampered meter readers, putting them off sched ule, and some water-sewer use bills cover up to seven and a half months of service, instead of the usual six-month period. A small portion of the in crease, WSSC explained, can be attributed to the three-cent in crease in the sewer use rate, which went into effect Janu ary 1. TOWN & COUNTRY ELECTRIC Inc. Presents W J W! i • " V I V fCttlC CjuS C^oohina .... • ■ . TftPPAMt • My** Wf 'jTj J' oi ‘ • Sizzle ’N Simmer Burners! ■ H © O a Flexa-Soeed Oven* riexa opeea wven. • Swing-Out Smokeless Broiler! Gas Cooking Is If HHRjjj fl| Easy Because: H [ | HH|H j H • Gas Does More, Costs Less! • Matchless Lighting! 1 Circulated Fresh Air in Oven! • Your Choice Of Any Heat! i mm h . . I i ■ |||/' No Money Down I y our £ as g||| © 196 , B*Bs Per Month J ( NATURALLY CLEAN} % GAS>> Oi*t ( NATtMUtiLY CLEANS \NATUftAL GAS Does More-Costs Less! I Automatic gas cooking is fast, cool, clean, thrifty and dependable. Matchless lighting of top-burners, oven and broiler—Automatically!! Automatic top-burn er heat control lets you dail the temperature you want. Foods won’t burn, boil J or overcook with this amazing "burner with a brain." Ordinary pots and pans cook like automatic appliances. CHECK OUR LOW, LOW PRICES! TOWN & COUNTRY ELECTRIC 300 E. Montgomery Ave., Rockville • PO. 2-3905 GA. 4-5140 Open Monday, Thursday and Friday Nights 'til 9 P.M. Service Foremost • SerWce Foremost • Service Foremost .... -vi-xt-ii in—ir~fr ON THE JOB IN A HURRY—The Wheaton Resfcue Squad am bulance and rescue truck leave the squad’s station in answer to their 10,000th call. SP KI TINI P I MONTGOMERY tH I IIN C L COUNTY. MD. Tuesday, May 2, 1961 Damascus High Gets Preview of Future A “sunmobile,”- gas turbine microwaves and other advanced 1 developments in the world of physics were previewed at Da mascus High School last week by General Motors Co. Titled “Previews of Pro gress,” the educational program was designed to “interest, in struct and inspire” our youth of today on the subject of the contributions that science and engineering have made to the nation’s standard of living. Principal Ellis Glime de scribed the program as “the most valuable we have ever presented.” 11