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Biomedical subjects

G W Grumet

Publications and source records attributed to G W Grumet.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Tyranny of the obsessional character.

This essay relates many of the unwelcome features of modern life to the increasing influence of obsessional personality traits. This influence is becoming more pronounced as civilization advances and comes to be increasingly reliant upon depersonalized mechanical and commercial systems. The result has been a glut of unwanted information, an exaggerated reliance upon computing and numbers, an overgrowth of bureaucracy, a discarding of intuitive wisdom in favor of calculative reasoning, a loss of simplicity, a jargonized language, and ultimately, the degradation of human relationships and of human beings themselves.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Laughter: nature's epileptoid catharsis.

The ability to laugh, like other favored behavioral traits, may have evolved over many generations in response to environmental stresses favoring reproduction among successfully adapted people. This speculative overview depicts laughter as a symbolically-triggered release mechanism that unleashes instinctive drive energies associated with survival, in the process lowering anxiety. The use of humor to trigger the laugh reflex has become a cultural activity in which unacceptable impulses are expressed in an acceptable manner. As this occurs, there is an emancipatory release of repressed energies and assorted conflicts are "resolved". An attempt is made to examine the neurological events of laughter; here, there is a suspension of cortical-diencephalic inhibitory control, and tensions are discharged from lower centers, the presumed custodians for some of the encoded programs of instinct and emotion.

Abreaction↗
PubMed1989

Attempted suicide by electrocution. Review and case report.

Accidental electrical injuries are quite common, but suicide attempts by electrocution are rare and are scarcely mentioned in the medical literature. The author describes the case of a male nurse who unsuccessfully attempted suicide by applying a 5,165-volt cardiac defibrillator to his head. The author also reviews the electrophysiology involved and discusses the psychodynamics that prompted this action.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

On speaking to oneself.

This essay is an attempt to pull together a multiplicity of phenomena variously called "private speech," "egocentric speech," "self-communicative speech," "self-guiding speech" or "soliloquy" within a unified perspective. I will attempt to demonstrate that soliloquy consists of 3 basic components: a "regressive" component involved with the release of raw emotional energy, an "intrapersonal" component concerned with structuring and sustaining cognition, and an "interpersonal" component directed toward communicating with others. An example of what can be called "regressive soliloquy" is the instinctive cry of a newborn baby or the involuntary curse of a person who has just struck his thumb with a hammer. An "intrapersonal soliloquy" is exemplified by the person who has looked up a telephone number in the directory and repeats it to himself for better retention as he prepares to dial the telephone, while "interpersonal soliloquy" is illustrated by one's rehearsal of a speech destined for public delivery.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1985

Pathologic masturbation with drastic consequences: case report.

A case of urethral masturbation is described in which a foreign body was inserted into the urethra for erotic stimulation. The item became lost in the bladder and 7 years later caused urinary obstruction and scrotal gangrene necessitating emergency urologic care.

Foreign Bodies↗
PubMed1983

Eye contact: the core of interpersonal relatedness.

This essay will attempt to show, citing evidence from diverse sources, that eye contact plays a central role in interpersonal relations. The eyes preface most new relationships, overshadowing other sensory inputs while transmitting a wide assortment of emotional cues. Visual behavior may at times prove decisive in assuring survival, in amorous encounters, and in clarifying interpersonal motives. Ocular performance, a final common pathway for many social, cultural and emotional determinants, is a crucial factor in defining relationships and in allowing reciprocal influences to be exchanged as persons relate. In psychiatric patients, ocular behavior may provide clues to diagnosis. A common finding in such persons is gaze aversion, a social avoidance phenomenon which indicates a desire to attenuate the interpersonal experience and thereby decrease anxiety.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1983

Identical twins discordant for heroin abuse: case report.

A case of monozygotic twins is reviewed in which one twin was a heavy abuser of heroin and other illicit drugs while his co-twin was adamantly opposed to drug abuse. The drug-abusing twin was the first born, had a higher birthweight and took a leadership role, while his twin enjoyed extra care in infancy and was less adventuresome.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Psychiatric social workers in the emergency department.

The authors report on a unique program that uses psychiatric social workers as the primary mental health care-givers in the emergency department of a general hospital. Their article demonstrates that the social worker is uniquely well equipped to respond to the psychiatric and social problems of emergency department patients.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗