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At the end of 1944, Al., aged 28, came to the author's office for treatment. He was sent by a reputable hospital and complained of being nervous, upset, “blue”, having no appetite and sleeping poorly. Rarely did he feel as well as the next person. In school his grades were good at first but became poor as he grew increasingly self-conscious. He was afraid to use the school toilet. At the junior high school level he quit because he could not tolerate a crowd such as he deemed a class. He had been drinking since 10 years of age and said he felt normal after 20 whiskeys with beer chasers. Many times during treatment he diagnosed himself as “just born shy”. He was a night driver.
Al. had intercourse 1 to 2 times a year, only when intoxicated, and only in a car with a married woman or a divorcee. He was often impotent. He had sexual fantasies involving his sisters and felt very guilty afterwards. At about 13 years of age, he had one homosexual experience in which he was a paid, passive partner. It was not pleasurable. Al. never visited the ‘Y’ because he claimed the residents were “only queers”. He often had the feeling that people could see on his forehead that he was homosexual.
During many of the interviews, Al. blushed, grimaced, perspired, stared at the wall. Every question had to be repeated because he grew tense and could not concentrate.
Al. had a sister 3 years older, “a show off”, one 3 years younger, “just the baby”. Both were married. A younger brother, with an arm crippled by osteomyelitis, was better adjusted. A still younger brother died at age 7 of rheumatic fever.
His parents were of Southern European stock, quarreled constantly, were very superstitious and told the children murder and ghost stories before bedtime. Neither had any love for their children. Al. was beaten cruelly. His mother had to both care for the children and earn the livelihood; she was sloppy and unclean. His father was an alcoholic, often absent for periods of 3-4 days, then delivered in