Læknablaðið - 01.06.1961, Side 55

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ
83
change occurred in the fall of
1957. He is now successfully
employed as a teacher, having
acquired an M.A. degree and
almost completed his work for
his Ph.D. He is now more solid
in himself than he has ever
been in his life.
When I last saw him, a few
months ago, tliere was a gentle-
ness and softness in his eyes
which had the clarity of a
child’s. His understanding and
acceptance of people is quite
remarkable. „You know, there
are several things I’ve learned.
One is not to ask for or expect
from people, something they are
simply incapahle of giving. And
another thing. You rememher
when I used to ask you all those
questions in a panic. I know
now what I was looking for,
wisdom. It’s hard to define wis-
dom, hut I feel I have some now
and it’s something that can’t be
taught. You have to learn it
yourself.“
The woman said that from
the moment she could talk, she
stuttered severly. She was al-
wavs a withdrawn person and
had severe depressions in her
late teens. Because her motlier
feared she was contemplating
suicide at 19, she was brought
to a neurologist whom she saw
six times. She wanted desper-
ately to continue her visits with
him, hut had to stop for lack
of funds. She had manifested
a lifelong tenacious hope of re-
ceiving help. She made endless
tries at getting it. At 23, she
heard a minister lecture on
dreams and sought his help, hut
soon realized his limitations. At
34 she participated in group
therapy sessions for ahout a
year. She was married for 9
years from 40 to 49. Her hus-
band died of coronary throm-
hosis. She had separated from
him five years hefore, hut con-
tinued to have a quite amicable
relationship with Iiim there-
after. From 1942 to 1945, i.e.
age 40 lo 43, she had three years
of analytic therapy. After a hia-
tus of several years she worked
six months with anolher therap-
ist. Ahout two years later, in
succession, she had two more
years of analytic therapy, one
year of group therapy, one hos-
pitalization, one long and one
short series of electro-shock
therapy.
I began work witli her in
October 1954 at 52. In the spring
of 1957 she went through a
psychotic phase of ahout two
months duration and another
of ahout six weeks in the fall
og 1957. About mid-January
1958, she hecame aware of a
sudden change in herself. She
felt like she has never felt be-
fore in her life. She experienced
a feeling of hope. She felt that
not only was change possible,
but that it was happening. She