Neurosis and the

2005 #

บ

Homosexuals

Ph.D.

by Ronald Anderson, Ph.D.

When Dr. Ellis advises persons whose sexual interests are exclusively homosexual to "run, not walk, to the nearest psychotherapist," his words seem to me to be less than wise. From the days of Socrates up to the immediate present, the essence of wisdom in things sexual has been rather: "Walk, do not run!" In the present state of development of psychotherapy, one can only regard the claims of its practitioners with reserve. They have no "psychopenicillin" which can magically rid their patients of neuroses. Those with much experience of psychiatrists know that Dr. Ellis' question may also be asked of them: "Are [Psychiatrists] Necessarily Neurotic?" And one is forced to give much the same answer: "Although all [psychiatrists] are not necessarily neurotic, the great majority of them indubitably are." The nearest psychotherapist may very well be fighting a war within himself to suppress his own homosexual tendencies. If so, Lord help his "gay" patient!

Terms that need clarification in Dr. Ellis' article are "neurosis" and "pervert." When he attempts to define neurosis in terms of criteria of "illogicality, irrationality, childishness, fixation . . ." etc., he implies that he is in possession of some valid standard of logicality, rationality, maturity, versatility. etc. I think that we can properly take a short-cut around a huge literature on this subject in Psychol-

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