The influence of childhood, atmosphere, and upbringing on the child and the adult

I admit that while I have always approached psychiatry as a medical science with respect, psychology and these subjects in general often seemed to me excessively contrived or simply an unnecessary attempt to name and analyse everything. In many cases I still think so—especially when listening to some of the more "overzealous" female psychologists on television.

However, I wanted to mention my reading of the chapter "Psychological phenomena underlying addiction" and the subsection "Psychological needs" from the textbook Psychiatry by Prof. Kiejna and Associate Professor Małyszczak. The authors of this section (Dr Chlebowska and Dr Stępień) present two cases—that of 15-year-old Beata and 17-year-old Krzysztof. In different ways, one of them is neglected and even condemned by parents and surroundings, while in the case of the other, the parents impose excessively high expectations. These fundamental deficiencies and neglect cause these hypothetical patients to attempt to satisfy their needs through narcotics. The section by the aforementioned authors clearly demonstrates how seemingly basic values, namely love and family bonds, can prevent such situations.

I warmly recommend this section, which is encountered by sixth-year medical students in Wrocław, and for my part, in just a few words, I would ask all parents to take an interest in their children, to listen, and to talk with them... not only on special occasions.