Turning Down the Dial of Life

Confirming the brain-disabling principle, lithium has the same subduing effects on psychiatric patients as on normal volunteers. Speaking of individuals successfully treated with lithium, Dyson and Mendelson (1968) observed the following  

It is as if their intensity of living dial had been turned down a few notches. Things do not seem so very important or imperative there is greater acceptance of everyday life as it is rather than as one might want it to be and their spouses report a much more peaceful existence. 

As a demonstration of the brain-disabling concept of psychiatric treatment, the reference to the spouse s report of a more peaceful existence is reminiscent of Schou et al. s (1968) observation that one of the children preferred it when Dad s responsiveness to environmental stimuli was diminished. The comparison to neuroleptic deactivation and to lobotomy again seems apparent. 

According to Dyson and Mendelson (1968), even on effective maintenance therapy, the dial of life remains turned down. They quoted some of their patients  

Schlagenhauf et al. (1966) found that when improvement was first noted the patients complained of feeling internally curbed, a subjective experience that all of them had considerable difficulty in describing very precisely. The patients felt unable to talk, think or move as fast as they 

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