by barbara wegher
Neil Diamond’s Solitary Man, Gilbert O’Sullivan’s Alone Again, Naturally, and Harry Chapin’s Taxi express the fears, bitterness and loneliness often covered up by the sweet love songs we otherwise tune our ears to. But such problems are real to a large segment of the population, including USC students.
It is the time when the “best years of our lives” really aren’t. Some find relief in drugs and suicide. Five suicide attempts were reported in Birnkrant alone last semester, perhaps reflecting that the national figures for youth suicides have skyrocketed.
The new director ofthe Health Center, Dr. Addie Klotz, feels, however, that some of these problems might be averted through preventive medicine — in the form of psychiatric counseling offered free at the center.
“Traditionally when someone really needed help they went to
a doctor,” said Dr. Klotz. “And when someone finally cracked up, then they’d go to a psychiatrist. Primarily we should be interested in prevention of problems, and then we can get into the area of treatment.
“The concern should be not only getting well, but keeping well. This is positive mental health.”
Dr. Klotz sharply perceives the correlation between the world of medicine and the world outside the alcohol-perfumed room of the center.
DR. KLOTZ FEELS that there may be more stresses and strains on college-aged people than those in the general populace. Problems of dating, relating to people of the same sex. growing from adolescence to adulthood, career goals, living in a sorority or fraternity house, or alone or with parents, add to the difficulties of everyday living.
"We're living in this age of future shock, of change.-' said
Dr. Klotz. “We have increasing mobility and things are more confusing. All these problems are zeroing in, all at one time, on the student who hasn’t had a lot of experience dealing with them. For example, it’s a lot easier foryou to handle the same problem now, which bothered you at perhaps 13. Coping with a problem a second or third time is much easier than the first.” Although many students who attend USC are from affluent families, this does not minimize mental strain caused by financial matters, added Dr. Klotz. “Their parents are footing the bills and calling the shots concerning careers. This sometimes gives students a sense of guilt or a feeling they should do this or that to please their parents.” Drug addiction has not escaped this campus, either. “I've talked to heroin addicts.” said Dr. Klotz. “But many students are hooked on legal drugs. Oneyoung man came in and gave me 400 phenobarbitals and said.
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