Few bad habits can cause more mental distress than those connected with sex. Psychiatrists claim that one of the commonest of these bad habits, that of masturbation or self-abuse, is of no importance in causing mental illness, providing that the patient is taught not to worry about it. This attitude of mind is typical of that taken by psychiatrists towards the fundamental problems of life, and results show how wrong they are.

It is quite obvious that this practice is unnatural and against the best interests of the race. Carried to its logical conclusion, masturbation would become universal, the sexes would lose interest in, and have no need for, each other, and so the race would die out. Nature, in her wisdom, has provided that there shall be a revulsion of feeling against this unnatural act and that those who indulge in it must pay the price.

Such a case as this illustrates the harm which can result from this habit. This young man sought hypnotic treatment and complained of absent mindedness and inability to remember or concentrate.
He stated that he was ‘slow on the uptake’ and could not study owing to excessive fatigue. General nervousness and shyness prevented him mixing in company, and he felt specially awkward in the presence of girls. He felt that there was a constant under-current of worry.

Enquiry revealed that he had been receiving psychiatric treatment for seven years! As a young boy he had indulged in the habit of self-abuse. When his parents discovered this, they took him to the family doctor, who warned him against continuing this habit and advised him to have psychiatric treatment. The psychiatrist, however, laughed at his fears and encouraged him to indulge in the habit as much as he liked and not to worry about it.

At the same time a long course of psycho-analytical treatment was commenced, aimed at discovering some frightful buried memory of long ago which, it was alleged, must be worrying the patient. After seven years of this, the mythical cause remained undiscovered; but the patient now masturbated twice a day and his general condition had naturally deteriorated.

The patient proved to be a fairly good hypnotic subject, and it was explained that his condition was merely due to an upset of his nervous system by this unnatural act. Further, that psycho-analysis had been unable to discover anything dreadful in his early child-hood because probably there was not anything dreadful to find.
In addition, it was pointed out that the worry over this and the unpleasant habit had naturally disturbed his mind so that he could not think clearly. He was reminded that nobody could solve a difficult problem while his mind was flustered and emotionally upset. It was impressed upon him that there was really nothing seriously wrong with his mind and that, as he gave up this bad habit, the balance of his nervous system would be restored.

The patient improved rapidly and showed greatly increased confidence after even the first treatment. Several treatments enabled him to gain his self-respect and give up his unnatural habit.
Sometimes these sexual problems, although apparently trivial, cause great agony of mind to sensitive patients. Often they are of a nature which cannot be treated by ordinary means but will readily respond to hypnotism. One woman complained of very vivid sexual dreams, which caused her great distress. She was separated from her husband and lived with relatives. The dreams were so real that she went in fear of her secret being discovered. Hypnosis was able to stop the dreams and give her peace of mind.

Another patient was obsessed with the idea that he would never be able to perform his male function properly. He wanted to get married and was already engaged to a charming girl. It was soon elicited that he had indulged frequently in self-abuse and felt that he was not worthy of such a girl. He was told under hypnosis that if he persisted in such a habit he was not worthy of the’girl but that, as he wanted her, he would find it easy to give up this unnatural practice. Further that, as he stopped upsetting the balance of his nervous system, nature would repair any damage which had been done, and that his feelings would become natural.
As the result of several sessions, he found it easy to give up the habit which was ruining his life, and looked forward to a happy future.

Impotence is another problem. One man complained of inability to have normal intercourse with his wife, whom he loved very dearly. A psychiatrist had told him that this was because he was really, at heart, a homosexual, and secretly desired men rather than women. The patient was greatly distressed at this, and thought he must be going mad to have such thoughts. He had never noticed them himself, but took the psychiatrist’s word for it that they must be there.
Enquiry revealed that he had been quite normal when first married. On one occasion during the war, when physically tired and emotionally upset, he had failed on attempting intercourse. He had developed a panic as the result of thinking that he might be losing his sexual power and becoming prematurely old. 
Instead of realizing that his failure was simply a wise precaution of Nature to prevent over-exhaustion, and resting, to recuperate his vitality, the patient drove himself to further attempts, spurred on by the anxiety to ‘prove himself a man’.

Naturally he failed again and again, and each failure seemed to confirm his very worst fears. He was hypnotized and given the simple and true explanation. Further, it was pointed out that as he relaxed and so rid himself of the nervous tension generated by anxiety, his nervous system would become calm and peaceful. As a result of this, all the organs and glands in his body, including the sex glands, would work smoothly and well. When his vitality had been restored, then his natural feelings would return and success would be certain. The patient was enjoined to refrain from all attempts at intercourse until his natural feelings urged him to attempt it. It was impressed upon him that driving himself to make fruitless attempts was just like whipping up a tired horse.
The patient was much encouraged by this simple explanation, and after obeying instructions for a short time, soon wrote to report that everything was normal between his wife and himself again.

Another habit which causes a great deal of distress is that of Enuresis or bed-wetting. A young man sought treatment by hypnosis for this unpleasant complaint. He had suffered from this habit all his life and it was a source of great embarrassment to him. He had tried all sorts of treatment without success.

It is not difficult to imagine the effect that such a disability can have on the mind. The patient felt ashamed and inferior and had no confidence in himself. He proved to be a good hypnotic subject, and a few sessions not only cured him of his habit but gave him greatly increased confidence. No analysis was attempted, and it was simply explained to the patient that the nerves of his bladder had been upset, but that henceforth they would work normally and well so that he would never wet the bed again.
In fact, the patient did not wet the bed after the first treatment; and the cure has been maintained for some considerable time.

Another case was that of a young boy. His mother was in great distress because he could not be accepted at boarding school on account of his unfortunate habit. All sorts of treatment had been tried without success; but three short sessions of hypnosis were sufficient to cure him of his habit, and enable him to go to boarding school.

Another young man who wished to get married complained of this distressing habit. He had suffered from it all his life and felt very ashamed and inferior. As he came from a considerable distance, only one treatment was possible. Fortunately, he proved to be a good subject, and wrote some time later to say that he was perfectly well and had had no trouble whatsoever.

It is commonly thought that bed-wetting is only a childish complaint and that children ‘grow out of it’ as they get older. Some do so, but many retain this habit into adult life, with consequent misery and distress of mind.
Even a woman doctor, writing in the Lancet recently, told how she had suffered from this complaint all her life. She had tried every sort of treatment except the obvious one. Hypnotism acts like a charm in these cases, and it is astounding that people will endure such unhappiness when there is a simple remedy available.