American Journal of Psychotherapy

V O L U M E XXXIV, N U M B E R 1 JANUARY 1979

E D I T O R I A L

1959-1979: Reaching for T o m o r r o w 1979 r e p r e s e n t s o u r t w e n t i e t h year o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t y as E d i t o r - i n C h i e f o f t h e American Journal world

about

sociopolitically,

us

has

and

of Psychotherapy.

changed

D u r i n g this p e r i o d the

technologically,

sociophilosophically

at

a

socioeconomically, rate

never

before

e x p e r i e n c e d i n r e c o r d e d h i s t o r y ; t h i s c r e s c e n d o p a t t e r n is d e s t i n e d t o continue.

I n s o m e ways, t h i s e v e r - i n c r e a s i n g s u r g e m a y be e p i t o m i z e d

b y a p a n o r a m i c awareness o f t h e a c c e l e r a t e d increase i n a c c u m u l a t e d k n o w l e d g e t h a t has o c c u r r e d d u r i n g t h e past f e w c e n t u r i e s , especially d u r i n g t h i s c e n t u r y ( k n o w l e d g e s h o u l d n o t be c o n f u s e d w i t h w i s d o m , w h i c h is t h e h u m a n i s t i c a p p l i c a t i o n o f k n o w l e d g e ) . For e x a m p l e , p r i o r to the 15th c e n t u r y A.D., available k n o w l e d g e (the t o t a l a c c u m u l a t i o n o f i n f o r m a t i o n ) was d o u b l i n g e v e r y 2 0 0 years. A t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e 1 9 t h c e n t u r y , i t was d o u b l i n g e v e r y h u n d r e d years.

By

t h e onset o f t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y , k n o w l e d g e was d o u b l i n g e v e r y 5 0 years. A f t e r W o r l d W a r I I , j u s t 2 4 years ago, i t was d o u b l i n g e v e r y 25 years. N o w i t is d o u b l i n g at t h e r a t e o f 10 years o r less.

B y 1 9 9 0 , i t is l i k e l y t o

be d o u b l i n g e v e r y 5 years o r less, a n d b y t h e y e a r 2 0 0 0 , i t m a y d o u b l e e v e r y y e a r . T h i s o b s e r v a t i o n staggers one's sense o f r e a l i t y a n d e v e n one's i m a g i n a t i o n .

A s w e h a v e stressed r e p e a t e d l y i n m a n y e d i t o r i a l s

a n d a r t i c l e s , t h i s awareness r e n d e r s obsolete t h e e n c y c l o p e d i c m e t h o d o f learning

and

guarantees

that

superspecialists

will

be

replaced

by

p r o g r a m m e d a u t o m a t e d a n d e v e n t u a l l y c y b e r n a t e d systems. D u r i n g t h e past 20 years, w e h a v e f a i t h f u l l y c a r r i e d o u t t h e o r i g i n a l m a n d a t e o f t h e American parent

organization, the

Journal

of Psychotherapy

ASSOCIATION

as s t i p u l a t e d b y its

FOR T H E A D V A N C E M E N T OF

PSYCHOTHERAPY, n a m e l y , t h a t i t has t h e p r i m a r y p u r p o s e t o serve as a f o r u m w h e r e a l l c u r r e n t l y e s t a b l i s h e d as w e l l as n e w e r c o n c e p t s o f psyc h i a t r i c a n d p s y c h o t h e r a p e u t i c t h o u g h t c a n be p r e s e n t e d f u l l y .

We 1

2

AMERICAN

JOURNAL

OF

PSYCHOTHERAPY

have a t t e m p t e d t o be a voice f o r a l l i n d i v i d u a l s o r g r o u p s w h o h a v e l a b o r e d i n a n o r g a n i z e d f a s h i o n t o d e v e l o p t h e i r ideas.

I n a d d i t i o n , we

have n e v e r h e s i t a t e d t o p r e s e n t d o c u m e n t e d e v i d e n c e c r i t i c a l o f a n y c o n cepts, o l d o r n e w .

I t c a n be s a i d , w i t h o u t serious c o n t r a d i c t i o n , t h a t

those w h o f a i t h f u l l y f o l l o w t h i s J o u r n a l a r e e x p o s e d t o a b r o a d , b u t at the

same

time

psychotherapy.

epicritic,

awareness

of

the

essential

trends

of

T o t h i s e n d , w e have stressed t h e n e e d t o i n t e r r e l a t e

psychodynamics w i t h biodynamics a n d sociodynamics. B u t b e y o n d these goals, w e have h a d t h e a i m t o be a b e a c o n w h e r e b y p s y c h o t h e r a p y , p s y c h i a t r y , a n d m e d i c i n e c o u l d assume t h e i r o p t i m u m roles i n o u r f u t u r e society.

W e are p r o u d o f the fact that

futures

studies, as t h e y a p p l y t o t h e h e a l t h sciences, w e r e b o r n i n t h e pages o f this J o u r n a l .

I n d e e d , t h e American Journal

of Psychotherapy

has b e e n t h e

o n l y p u b l i c a t i o n t h a t has d e d i c a t e d itself, i n t h e f o r m o f e d i t o r i a l s a n d articles, t o p r e p a r e t h e h e a l t h sciences f o r t h e w o r l d o f t o m o r r o w . T h e r e a d e r s o f this J o u r n a l h a v e b e e n a l e r t e d i n m a n y e d i t o r i a l s t o the f o r t h c o m i n g Congressional debate c o n c e r n e d w i t h the f o r m u l a t i o n o f a N a t i o n a l H e a l t h Insurance Plan.

W e have presented a detailed

f o r m a t f o r a r a d i c a l l y d i f f e r e n t p r o g r a m t h a t w o u l d be a t o t a l l y n e w c o n c e p t o f h e a l t h care d e s i g n e d f o r o p t i m a l a p p l i c a t i o n i n o u r f u t u r e society ( E d i t o r i a l s : J u l y a n d O c t o b e r , 1976, O c t o b e r 1978). T h e r e a r e m a n y ways t o r e v i e w t h e c o n c e p t s a n d e f f o r t s o f 2 0 years as a n e d i t o r .

W e believe t h a t a l i s t i n g o f t h e titles o f t h e e d i t o r i a l s

p u b l i s h e d d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d c a n best s u m m a r i z e o u r d e e p l y f e l t views.

EDITORIALS

1959 July: Psychotherapist and the Awareness o f Organic Disease October: A Rededication o f Principles and Aims 1960 January: T h e Changing Culture and Psychotherapeutic Techniques April: Psychopharmacology and the Extremists July: A Need for Introspection October: What Price Progress? 1961 January: T h e T a i n t o f the Huckster April: Psychotherapy and the Danger o f Suicide July: Narcotics A d d i c t i o n , A Social Scotoma October: Present Principles and Plans for T o m o r r o w

AMERICAN

J O U R N A L OF P S Y C H O T H E R A P Y

3

1962 January: T h e Impact o f Psychotherapy on Society (by Joseph Wilder, M.D.) April: Hypochondriasis—U.S.A. July: A n Image for J o h n Doe October: T h e Organization M a n i n Psychiatry 1963 January: T h e Nation and the Psychotherapist April: A Bureaucratic Mess—Narcotics A d d i c t i o n i n the U.S.A. July: Research Funds for Psychiatry—Boon or Monster October: T h e Image o f Mental Illness 1964 January: Psychotherapy 1999: A Need to Prepare April: A Danse Macabre—Psychiatry and the Law July: I n d i v i d u a l i s m — A D y i n g Anachronism October: Politics and Mail O r d e r Psychiatry 1965 January: Medical Education—the Need for New Horizons April: Results and Process i n Psychotherapy—A Challenge July: T h e Future o f Medical E d u c a t i o n — A Master B l u e p r i n t for Mediocracy October: Patients, Psychotherapists and Socioeconomics 1966 January: Evaluation and Process—The Road to the Future April: Psychotherapy T r a i n i n g Institutes and C u r r e n t Realities July: T h e Circus M a x i m u m Medicus October: A u t o m a t i o n and Psychiatry—Current Realities and Challenges 1967 January: Gold Poisoning and the C o m m u n i t y Mental Health Program April: T h e Changing Faces o f Medicine, Physicians and Patients July: Psychotherapy—An Apocalyptic View October: Psychiatry and Psychotherapy—Their Role i n Futurology 1968 Jaunary: T h e Royal Road to Medical M e d i o c r i t y — t h e National Institutes o f Health April: Universities and Original T h i n k i n g — C o r n u c o p i a or Mirage? July: I n f o r m a t i o n unto Ignorance October: Psychosociology—Reaching for a Future 1969 January: T h e A d m i n i s t r a t o r versus the Future o f the Health Sciences April: T h e Mortgaged Future o f H i g h e r Education

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OF P S Y C H O T H E R A P Y

July: T h e Faculty vs. Progress i n the Academic C o m m u n i t y October: Tears i n V a l h a l l a — t h e National Institute o f Health 1970 January: Morality, Shame and Scientific Organizations April: Prophylaxis and Psychotherapy July: T h e Medicine Machine vs. Today's Superspecialist—A Study i n A n a c h r o n i zation October: Reactionary Would-Be Radicalism and the American Scene 1971 January: Surprise, Doctor! Pot is Here to Stay! Where Were Y o u W h e n the Grass Was Cut? April: Daddy! May I Stay U p Late T o n i g h t So I Can Vote? July: Medicine Is Dead! L o n g Live the Health Sciences October: Mass Communications M e d i a — A Study o f T h o u g h t C o n t r o l 1972 January: Leisure and O u r Future Society April: T h e T r a i n i n g o f Incompetent Clinicians—the C u r r e n t State o f Medical Education July: Narcotics A d d i c t i o n 1 9 7 2 — A n Overview October: H u m a n Needs and O u r Future Society—A Call to Physicians and Psychotherapists 1973 January: Requiem for the Clinician April: O h God! W h o Created Heaven and Earth and Even Psychiatrists and Psychologists, Please Protect Us From Well-meaning but Confused " E x p e r t s " — o r — T h e C u r r e n t Confusion Over Homosexuality July: Jane Doe and O u r Future Society—Searching for an Image October: O u r Future and Alternative Concepts o f H u m a n Development 1974 January: T o Be or N o t to Be an I l l n e s s — T h a t is the Q u e s t i o n — o r — t h e Status o f Homosexuality April: H u m a n Determinants, H u m a n Needs and O u r Future Society July: Obsolescent Medical Centers: A Deterrent to Progress October: T h e Law and Watergate—A Study o f Postindustrial M o r a l Decompensation 1975 January: T h e Postscientific Era and O u r Future Society April: Psychologic Illness, Economic and Political Structures and O u r Future Society July: Education and O u r Postindustrial Society

AMERICAN

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J O U R N A L OF P S Y C H O T H E R A P Y

October: Poison and the U n i t e d States Public Health Service—A Study o f Medical Perversion 1976 January: T h e Hucksters and the Health Sciences—I'll Take T w o F r o m C o l u m n A and One F r o m C o l u m n B April: Where Have A l l the Clinicians Gone? L o n g T i m e Passing . . . July: T h e Day o f Reckoning—the National H e a l t h Insurance Program, Part I October: T h e Day o f Reckoning—the National Health Insurance Program, Part II 1977 January: M o r a l Codes and the Postindustrial Era April: What Price Confusion—the Status o f Psychiatric Education July: T h e Law and O u r Future Society October: T h e State System Versus Population Zones—Their Relation to a New Concept o f Health Science Institutions 1978 January: Psychohistory—a W o r d o f Caution April: Jane D o e — W h o A r e You? Where A r e Y o u Going? July: Bureaucracy, T h y Name is Mediocrity October: National Health Insurance Program U p d a t e — t h e Need for Normative Planning STANLEY

LESSE, M . D .

1959--1979: reaching for tomorrow.

American Journal of Psychotherapy V O L U M E XXXIV, N U M B E R 1 JANUARY 1979 E D I T O R I A L 1959-1979: Reaching for T o m o r r o w 1979 r e...
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