July 1 9 6 5

The Vital Balance by Karl A. Menninger, M.D.

“. . . In all of U S , when various tensions accumulate . . . the threat of disorganization develops.” owe more than we can pay. But we to start out with, a disorganized have to try to square the contract, personality. But in all of us, when by helping somebody else, and help- various tensions accumulate, usually everyone else but it doesn’t give I HAVE publicly declared my faith in AA many times: I have said it has probably helped more alcoup; it persists and it grows. AA gives each member an oping someone else is just what a drunk can’t do and an AA can! If I were to say a word of cauaround a hidden psychic boulder or time bomb, the threat of disorganization develops. The (vital) balance holics than we psychiatrists, and I portunity to participate, to direct tion to the AAs, if I were to express is in danger of getting upset. In our think it is one of the great social some self-love toward others who just a faint worry I have about book by that name we describe how discoveries of the times. One of are like himself. Every psychiatrist them, it would be along the line of under those circumstances autoour younger psychiatrists has re- sees some of himself in his patients, strengthening this balancing idea. I matic devices begin to operate to cently backed up this view in a and in helping them he helps him- would like to see AA cost a little counterbalance the upset and help medical journal.” self. AA members do the same. more. Is that a dreadful thing to to maintain the equilibrium. If one Well, I have not weakened on If you have read our book, The say? What I mean is that the more starts to fall, he spontaneously AA. I have heard that it has some Vital Balance,* you know that I people put into something, the more throws out his arms and staggers critics and I read one very snide, think this is a very important prin- that is demanded of them in the and usually recovers himself. disparaging article in the Satltrrlay ciple. We have all been helped so way of service and tribute, the more Some individuals happen onto Evening Post by a fellow who ob- much by our mothers and fathers, they are going to prize it and hold strange salvage devices. Take, for viously never knew many alcoholics by our teachers and our friends, by to it. I cannot speak from experi- instance, morphine or chloroform. well. AA is here to stay because it the grace of God and the kind and ence, but I sometimes wonder if If a wife is about to kill her husis needed; it works; it is humble and beautiful world (to the extent that AA makes it too easy to get in and band in a fit of rage, a shot of morit is patient. It has its failures like it is kind and beautiful) that we stay in. phine or a little puff of chloroform * Ross, Jack L.: Alcolrolics Anonymous. * The Vital Balance by Karl A. Men- Let me explain how I see alco- will reduce the tension and save the J . Kansas Medical Society. 66:23-27, ninger, Viking Press Inc., New York, holic addiction. An alcoholic is not, situation. But morphine is difficult January 1965. N. Y. 1963.

to buy and chloroform is awkward The tranquilizer soothes not too. What some alcoholics do not get enough love in the ordinary to administer. A pint of bourbon is merely the acute stress which pre- like to face is the fact that there is course of life, take to loving thema good old home remedy close at cipitated the trouble, but a lot of that underlying weakness or disease selves, feeling sorry for themselves, hand! It relaxes!. It confuses and other minor pressures which should tendency with which they still have indulging themselves. So it is right dulls the issue. The tension subsides have been taken care of in a more to cope even after they have quit here that AA is so wise in requiring and poor old husband gets a new constructive way. Beans ought to the old home remedy and no longer that this craving be balanced as well lease on life. But it’s a short lease, go into the pot and the taxes ought drink. There is still that sense of as indulged, by loving other people and soon more of this dangerous to be paid; the deed ought to be impending imbalance which has to and taking care of other people tranquilizer is necessary. In fact, the signed, and the child ought to be be lived with and fought against and and doing things for them, especialneed for it increases. taken to the doctor. But all of these not drowned by alcohol, or any- ly in their hour of need. Now some people have quite an- things can wait; the ‘happiness’ of thing else. It takes guts to live with They give and give till it hurts. other kind of reaction to chloro- sweet oblivion has been chemically that tension, and one has to find But it’s a healthy hurt, like sore form; they just quit breathing! And produced to the dismay of everyone devices that help to deal with it and muscles after vigorous exercise. some people don’t relax under alco- else. The ‘alcohol addict’ is on prevent imbalance from occurring. And meanwhile, sobriety, decency hol; they get more excited (or the skids. Most alcoholics are affection-crav- and the vital balance have been stupid). The good old home remedy As you see, I agree with those ing individuals, who, if they don’t maintained. backfires. It calls for more, and the who say that alcohol addiction is individual for whom disorganization not a disease; drinking is an amawas recently so imminent decides to teur attempt to cure a disease, exhave another and another dose of cept that the cure is worse than the the good old soothing syrup, until disease. You can cure a broken the ‘cure’ has become a far worse arm by cutting off the arm, but affliction than the original disease. that cure is worse than the disease,