TY - JOUR T1 - The Harm We Doctors Do—Iatrogenic Disease JF - The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners JO - J R Coll Gen Pract SP - 11 LP - 18 VL - 24 IS - Suppl 1 AU - Keith Hodgkin Y1 - 1974/09/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/24/Suppl_1/11.abstract N2 - I suggest that many of the common psychoneuroses are behavioural reactions which arise in response to isolation of an individual from his group. This hypothesis is difficult to substantiate by statistical means and no attempt has been made to do so. These behavioural reactions are of two types: (1) Recognition-hunger reactions These are reactions of diffidence, self-consciousness, tension states, “promotion” and “tired housewife” syndromes, where the individual is isolated because he undervalues himself in relation to his group. (2) Status-protection reactions These are reactions of resentment, jealousy, “chip-on-shoulder”, compensation cases, and hypochondriasis where the individual is isolated because he overvalues himself in relation to the group. The behavioural grid provides a model to illustrate this thesis. I think that great opportunities for friendship in our communities are likely to be of greater therapeutic value than psychotropic drugs—these opportunities are discussed. ER -