Doctors send patients into new climates for theirhealth， because a change of “mental attitude” isnecessary. The seed of fear of ill health lives inevery human mind. Worry， fear， discouragement，disappointment in love and business affairs，cause this seed to germinate and grow. The recentbusiness depression kept the doctors on the run，because every form of negative thinking may causeill health.
Disappointments in business and in love stand atthe head of the list of causes of fear of ill health.
A young man suffered a disappointment in lovewhich sent him to a hospital. For months he hoveredbetween life and death. A specialist in suggestivetherapeutics was called in. The specialist changednurses， placing him in charge of a very charmingyoung woman who began （by prearrangement withthe doctor） to make love to him the first day of herarrival on the job. Within three weeks the patientwas discharged from the hospital， still suffering， butwith an entirely different malady. HE WAS IN LOVEAGAIN. The remedy was a hoax， but the patient andthe nurse were later married. Both are in good healthat the time of this writing.
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH
The symptoms of this almost universal fear are：
AUTO-SUGGESTION. The habit of negative useof self-suggestion by looking for， and expecting tofind the symptoms of all kinds of disease. “Enjoying” imaginary illness and speaking of it as being real. Thehabit of trying all “fads” and “isms” recommendedby others as having therapeutic value. Talking toothers of operations， accidents and other forms ofillness. Experimenting with diets， physical exercises，reducing systems， without professional guidance.
Trying home remedies， patent medicines and “quack” remedies.
HYPOCHONDRIA. The habit of talking of illness，concentrating the mind upon disease， and expectingits appearance until a nervous break occurs. Nothingthat comes in bottles can cure this condition. It isbrought on by negative thinking and nothing butpositive thought can affect a cure. Hypochondria， （amedical term for imaginary disease） is said to do asmuch damage on occasion， as the disease one fearsmight do. Most so-called cases of “nerves” comefrom imaginary illness.
EXERCISE. Fear of ill health often interferes withproper physical exercise， and results in over-weight，by causing one to avoid outdoor life.
SUSCEPTIBILITY. Fear of ill health breaks downNature’s body resistance， and creates a favorablecondition for any form of disease one may contact.
The fear of ill health often is related to the fear ofPoverty， especially in the case of the hypochondriac，who constantly worries about the possibility ofhaving to pay doctor’s bills， hospital bills， etc.
This type of person spends much time preparingfor sickness， talking about death， saving money forcemetery lots， and burial expenses， etc.
SELF-CODDLING. The habit of making a bid for sympathy， using imaginary illness as the lure. （Peopleoften resort to this trick to avoid work）. The habit offeigning illness to cover plain laziness， or to serve asan alibi for lack of ambition.
INTEMPERANCE. The habit of using alcohol or narcotics to destroy pains such as headaches，neuralgia， etc.， instead of eliminating the cause.
The habit of reading about illness and worryingover the possibility of being stricken by it. The habitof reading patent medicine advertisements.
THE FEAR OF LOSS OF LOVE
The original source of this inherent fear needsbut little deion， because it obviously grew outof man’s polygamous habit of stealing his fellowman’smate， and his habit of taking liberties with herwhenever he could.
Jealousy， and other similar forms of dementiapraecox grow out of man’s inherited fear of the lossof love of someone. This fear is the most painful ofall the six basic fears. It probably plays more havocwith the body and mind than any of the other basicfears， as it often leads to permanent insanity.
The fear of the loss of love probably dates backto the stone age， when men stole women by bruteforce. They continue to steal females， but theirtechnique has changed. Instead of force， they nowuse persuasion， the promise of pretty clothes， motorcars， and other “bait” much more effective thanphysical force. Man’s habits are the same as theywere at the dawn of civilization， but he expressesthem differently.
Careful analysis has shown that women are moresusceptible to this fear than men. This fact is easilyexplained. Women have learned， from experience，that men are polygamous by nature， that they are notto be trusted in the hands of rivals.
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR
OF LOSS OF LOVE
The distinguishing symptoms of this fear are：—JEALOUSY. The habit of being suspiciousof friends and loved ones without any reasonableevidence of sufficient grounds. （Jealousy is a form ofdementia praecox which sometimes becomes violentwithout the slightest cause）. The habit of accusingwife or husband of infidelity without grounds.
General suspicion of everyone， absolute faith in noone.
FAULT FINDING. The habit of finding fault with friends， relatives， business associates and lovedones upon the slightest provocation， or without anycause whatsoever.
GAMBLING. The habit of gambling， stealing，cheating， and otherwise taking hazardous chances toprovide money for loved ones， with the belief thatlove can be bought. The habit of spending beyondone’s means， or incurring debts， to provide gifts forloved ones， with the object of making a favorableshowing. Insomnia， nervousness， lack of persistence，weakness of will， lack of self-control， lack of selfreliance，bad temper.
THE FEAR OF OLD AGE
In the main， this fear grows out of two sources.
First， the thought that old age may bring with itPOVERTY. Secondly， and by far the most commonsource of origin， from false and cruel teachingsof the past which have been too well mixed with“fire and brimstone，” and other bogies cunninglydesigned to enslave man through fear.