ABSTRACT
Although the neuroses are correctly described as psychological illnesses, in that their origins are to be sought in the individual's history and in his emotional relationships, both past and present, this does not mean that they are without physical manifestations and effects. As a result, the neuroses, or at least some of the manifestations of neurosis, are amenable to alteration by physiological means, and both anxiety and depression can be either increased or decreased by physical agencies. In the treatment of adult neuroses, more complex procedures are, of course, adopted. These include handling models or toys representing the phobic object, looking at photographs of it, talking about it, and being confronted with it while accompanied by the therapist. However, psychotherapy remains the treatment of choice for the neuroses, although it must be admitted at once that there is no consensus of opinion about even such elementary points as which forms of psychotherapy are in general most efficient.
