Discussing Therapy and Method

Abstract

In my experience the key to the aetiology and treatment of neurosis by psychotherapy is by considering characteristics of courage, rather than sex. Obviously there is an important relationship between courage and sex, especially apparent to those accustomed to handling both entire males and castrates of any species (consider entering a bullock for a bullfight or a capon for a cockfight). Certainly a boy can be trained in such a way as to inhibit him sexually and this can be regarded as either an emotional or partial castration, but before this can be achieved he must first have been inhibited. Thus courage was inhibited before there was any sexual inhibition. Therefore, to aim towards sexual disinhibition is to treat a symptom whilst ignoring the deeper ill. Sexual disinhibition may bring a more assertive attitude towards all aspects of life (just as the restoring of normal sexuality to a bullock would do), with the possible side-effect of generalized disinhibition and recovery of courage. The neurotic man, however, is not necessarily sexually inhibited or, if he is, it may prove impossible to disinhibit him sexually until his courage has been disinhibited; or, if treatment effects the former, he may remain inhibited and unable to assert himself in other aspects of life.