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(d) Environment—Where a known external cause is at work, removal
of the disturbing influence or stress may effect a cure,
for example, adverse home conditions.
(?) The treatment should be practicable and acceptable, and
willing co-operation is essential.
The psychiatrist has no ready made aids such as x-rays or antibiotics
to investigate and cure his patient's ills. In fact drugs or other
forms of physical treatment have little or no place in the treatment of
emotional problems. Rather does he arm himself with a close knowledge
of the facts, and endeavours to establish a direct and personal
relationship with the patient. He uses his psychiatric training and
wisdom to disentangle the maze of conflict, conscious or unconscious,
that led to 'he distortion or false interpretation of experiences. And
to do so he Must not only have a trained understanding of the development
of the patient's problems, but must also be able to interpret it to
him, and endeavour to give new incentives and direction thereby
encouragin and guiding the patient to deal more effectively with
current exp ence. It may take months of persistent and complicated
endeavour before the patient can be expected to begin to deal effectively
with his problems, and it may be found necessary to remove the patient
from a distuing environment before beneficial influences can have full
impact.
Educational treatment
The local child Guidance Clinic which is staffed by a professional
teamconsis of psychiatrists, educational psychologists and psychiatric
social weakers provide the necessary facilities for the investigation
and treatment of our cases. The great majority of the cases receive
their regulation eatment at the clinic while remaining in their own
homes, and pending the ordinary local school. Certain of the pupils
attend a special class in an ordinary school, while others with associated
handicaps at and our special day school. One of the main purposes of
treatment is restore harmony and understanding between parents
and children and if possible the child is kept in the natural environment
of its own where treatment of him and encouragement and
support of the parents can take place together and healthy attitudes of
mind fostered out cases will be encountered where there is no hope of
treating the child successfully while he remains at home. The home
may be unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons such as where the child
is deeply rejected by the parents, or where there is continual friction
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