The following is extracted from a letter by Michael Bruwer, MD, in the
magazine "Parabola", Vol XII, No 4, November 1987: 'Jung's position on
alcoholism and the recovery from it did not spring solely from his own mind
and his discoveries about the religious nature of the psyche. Jung trained
at the Burgholzli Asylum in Zurich. Its former director August Forel turned
it over to his student Eugen Bleuler, who was Jung's teacher. When Forel
first took over running the asylum he was very humbled by his terrible
results from treating alcoholics, which he did by trying to enjoin them to a
pattern of moderate drinking (wine was still part of the regimen for staff
and patients). Forel was then strongly influenced by his local shoemaker
Jacob Bosshardt, a member of the local society of the Blue Cross, a
Methodist abstainers' group. At Forel's invitation Bosshardt successfully
treated a number of Forel's patients with abstinence. Forel was so impressed
that he implemented the abstinence program coupled with aftercare for
alcoholics at the Burgholzli. Forel became an abstainer himself. His staff
followed his example, including Bleuler and the young Dr Jung. Jung
maintained his abstinence until continued harrassment and belittlement for
it by Sigmund Freud induced him to cease abstaining. Forel is respected in
Switzerland where he appears on the thousand-franc note and on a stamp. It
is to him and his shoemaker Jacob Bosshardt that we must look for a major
root of AA."


>From: "Fiona Dodd" <fionadodd@...>
>Reply-To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com
>To: <aahistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Jung
>Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:53:18 +0100
>
>Have just read Jungs Memories, Dreams and Reflections in which he speaks of
>treating an American patient for "alcoholic neurasthenia".
>According to the account by Jung, the man had an ordinay neurosis couple
>with a formidable mother complex. "He came from a rich and respected
>family,
>had a likeable wife and no cares-externally speaking. Only he drank too
>much." The mother owned a large company and the son occupied a leading
>position in it. After a brief treatment he stopped drinking but as soon a
>she wa sunder the mothers influence again, he took to the bottle. Jung
>approached the mother during her next visit to Switzerland and convinced
>her
>to let the son go from his position otherwise he would die from alcoholism.
>The patient went on to forge a successful career and overcame his
>alcoholism.
>
>Anyone any idea who this guy was? All of this occured around 1909. He makes
>no further mention in this book of treating other alcoholics. I find it
>interesting that by the time he came to treat Rowland H he was no longer
>treating alcoholism as being a manifestation of a neurosis.
>
>Fiona
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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