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(Continued from the October, 1947, Issue)
There are two facts in the psychologic make-up of many a writer, often observed, seldom officially recorded: his alcoholism and his homosexuality. Why is the triad—writing, homosexuality, alcoholism—so often encountered?
First of all, the triad is not typical at all for all writers. More often the combination: alcoholism and writing is observable. All three parts might be found combined, they are not necessarily associated. The reason is simple: all three parts have an oral basis.
Alcoholic addiction has a complicated substructure.14 In my—strictly personal—opinion the problem is a subdivision of the “mechanism of orality” with the modification that the “bad” preoedipal mother is filled with “poison”. This aggression, however is a defense against the deep masochistic attachment towards her. Once more, this type of neurotic does not want to get, but to be refused. The “refusal” is first autarchially denied and disguised (which explains the jocose initial mood of the drinker), only to revert soon to the masochistic depression. To fight, in turn, this depression, the addict uses pseudo-aggression: he poisons the mother. The masochistic attachment to be warded off, enters into the defense: he “poisons” himself whatever his unconscious ideas may be.
Here is an incident which happened to a patient years before he entered analysis. He had once a violent conflict with his mother whom he accused of being responsible for his obtaining what he considered an unfair share of his father's estate. His mother defended herself against these—by the way unjustified—accusations. During their argument the man drank one brandy after another. His mother asked him reproachfully: “Why do you drink so heavily”?—“What's that to you?” was the son's brusque retort. His mother