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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1948)
Beck Tells Causes of Alcoholism By MIKE C ALLAHAN When a man steps across the line of social drinking and enters the dangerous habit of alcoholism, he is literally with his back to the wall, fighting against a prob lem that seems beyond him. He may not realize the source of the frustration that he is seeking to escape, but he has found that al coholic oblivion is the one sure way to peace. And even if he is committed to a one-way road to death he will follow it gladly, rath er than face and overcome his ob stacle. That was the picture of alcohol ism as a psychological problem that was presented in a lecture Wednesday night by Dr. Lester F. Beck, asociate professor of psy chology. Speaking before a group of parents, teachers, and students in Commerce hall, Dr. Beck dis cussed “Child and Adolescent Psy chology and Alchol” in one of the key lectures of the “Alcholic Studies Conferences and Lectures series”. This conference, sponsored by the University's general extension division and the educational advis ory committee to the Oregon liq or control commission, meets every Wednesday night until the middle of February. Moderated by Dr. J. R. Jewell, former dean of the discussions is attempting to anal school of education, the series of yze the entire problem of alcohol, with University professors or out side authorities as lecturers. “I don't believe that any person gets himself intoxicated deliberat ly,” Dr. Beck said at the opening of his address, “but alcoholism is a behavioral symptom, often ac companied by other problems in job-holding, perserverance, or ef ficiency.” Alcoholism is a symptom of Bowling xeeps you fit.. Be Ready For Spring Term. Keep Fit By BOWLING Dorsey's U - BOWL 29 West 11th Phone 4716 acute mental conflict, according to Dr. Beck, and he listed these con | flicts as one. or a combination of, three simple situations. The indi vidual may find himself between r two equally attractive prospects, . Dr. Beck explained, but this is a : problem that is usually not too serious but may be decided by weighing and analyzing the two prizes. “Much more dangerous though, is the situation where the person finds himself trapped between two equally bad prospects," Dr. Beck said. In such a case, according to Dr. Beck, the individual has one of three choices. He can try to “os trich” away from the entire prob lem by wishing it away, or he and start all over again. This last, according to Dr. Beck’s stud ies, is the cause for a surprisingly large number of divorce cases. As a third “solution,” Dr. Beck said, “the person may attempt to change the appearance of the con flict by looking at it in a differ ent way, or by bolstering up his courage. Aird that "dutch courage” often comes from alcohol. The final problem-situation that may confront a person in the “ob stacle between you and the goal” conflict that is one of the most common of all. In such a case, the individual must either surmount the negative force that stands in his way, or resort to other means to change its nature or strength. This again, according to Dr. Beck, can lead to alcoholism. How can the action of alcohol, which is in itself something of a food, aid in the solution of indi vidual conflicts? By means of films from the Yale laboratories on alcohol stud ies, Dr. Beck demonstrated the ef fect of alcohol on a frustrated per sonality. Using cats as subjects, the films showed how a routine habit pattern could be so broken up as to produce a neurosis in the cat. This corresponds to the intro duction of a seemingly-insurmount able problem in the life of a human. This eontroled neurosis experiment affected the basic personality of the subjects, making the meek, cats suddenly become dominant and the formerly-dominant ones sub missive. In just such a way do human personalities change as the becomes more, severe, Dr. Beck explained. Then, Amytal, which produces in cats the effects that alcohol does in humans, was given to the subjects. Immediately the person • alities changed themselves back to their originals, with the once strong cats again dominating and the once-submissive ones as meek as before. Alcohol, Dr. Beck stat ed, will do the same to humans. Thus it was shown, Dr. Beck ex For an expert radio repair job, bring your radio to us. AA’e have skilled technicians that KXOAY radios. Prompt, quick, ef ficient service. at Endicott’s Radio and Appliance Center 871 E. 13th Phone 5739 plained, that alcohol works in “re verse regression,” blotting out hab it patterns in the reverse order of their learning. Alcohol breaks up the most recently acquired memor ies, habits, and behavior patterns, (the ones causing tlie-conflict) and takes the person back beyond the problem to his former happy and untroubled state. Thus he has “re moved” his conflict, and can, for at least a little while, be content. But constant alcoholic oblitera tion is hardly the best solution, Dr. Beck pointed out. Other solutions to alcoholism may be to use en couragement and psychological treatment, such as is the method of Alcoholics Anonymous, or«lo remove the person from the situ ation. This last is hardly satisfac tory either, Dr. Beck said, as tests have shown that the neurotisisms remain and that a remeeting of the conflict situation will reawaken the neurotic tendencies and will lead again to alcoholism. “People drink because their/ life has to them become intolerable and so they must move baea be yond their conflict”. Dr. Beck con cluded. “As long as you treat al coholispi in itself, alcoholism will continue. But when you treat the individual for the problem that is causing the alcoholism, you will a bolish that alcoholism. Glsto Reinstate Old Insurance Oregon veterans now have until July 31 to reinstate their G.I in surance without a physical exam ination, following a new extension of this deadline from last Decem ber 31, Donald C. Schworer, vet erans administration contact rep resentative at the University, re ported yesterday. During the past 11 month, 13,179 ex-GIs of this state have revived $89,443,500 worth of national ser vice life insurance, Schworer said. Veterans in Washington, however, more than doubled Oregon’s mark, as 27,000 reinstated $184,000,000 of coverage. Veterans whose health is as good as when their G.I. insurance lapsed may regain it with no more trouble than an application and paying two month’s premiums. Even those who didn't carry service policies when they were in uniform can get them now. Any amount from $1000 up to $10 000, in $500 multiples, may be retained. Ter n policy rates are the same as they were in service, and the added amounts paid on per manent types all go into cash re serve values, Schworer explained. ‘‘One of the best service insur ance references,” he remarked, “is for any doubting ex-GI to talk it over with a World War I vet eran who didn’t keep his U.S. government life insurance.” Johnson Scheduled For Club Banquet Dean Eldon Johnson will speak on "A Graduate Program in the Scocial Sciences” at the next meet ing of the social science club, Jan uary 26, Dinner will be served at the Faculty club at 6:15 p.m. Reserva tions should be made with Miss Wilhelmina Gerot, library secre tary, through campus mail or by phone, Ext. 364 before noon Satur day. The price of dinner is $1.25 per plate. Just as an X-ray exposes the in side of a structure rather than the outside, obvious form, so Elmer Rice's "The Adding Machine” ex poses the yearnings and unknown suppressions of tfie mind. GAX Meeting Plans Begin Plans are under way for the na tional convention here. February 6 and 7, of Gamma Alpha Chi, na tional women's advertising' frater nity, local chapter president Mary anne Hansen said Thursday. Delegates from ten universities throughout the nation will be pro vided with a full schedule of sight seeing and entertainment, as well as business, she said. Members of Alpha Delta Sigma, men's adver tising fraternity, are helping with arrangements for transportation and a joint banquet. Annamae Winship, '46, national treasurer of GAX; Dr. R. D. Milli -can, professor of advertising, and Mrs. Millican are advising the host j ess chapter. ADS members have j also offered to escort the delegates i to the Military ball, which will be the final event of the weekend. Nearly 2,250,000 students are in college this year. Swank Plans Trip To Attend Meetings Dr. R. C. Swank, head of tin University library, win attend tb midwinter conference of the Amer ican Library association in Ch - cago, January 28 to February 3. Dr Swank is a member of the audio-visual committee and tb, public documents committee of the ALA. He is also chairman of the constitution and bylaws committee of the Association of College and Reference Libraries. WANTED! Saxaphone player for dance orchestra in town. Must be able to transpose at sight. Phone 727, Days or S694-J evenings If you want her to flash that special j smile at you— Take her * to— THE FALCON Across from John Straub Open 3 to S p.m. On Sundays &*t.1Math* f They’re lovelier than ever—and designed with that extra touch of beauty and. distinction,that makes NORCROSS cards so outstanding.) We suggest that you make your selections early. U of O “Co Chapman Hall