Victor Frankl The Psychiatrist and the Mentor

"A sound philosophy of life, I think, may be the most valuable asset for a psychiatrist to have when he is treating a patient." -Victor Frankl

About Victor Frankl

Viktor Emil Frankl, MD, PhD (1905-1997) was an Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist. He was a Holocaust survivor. Victor Frankl is noted for founding “Logotherapy,” a form of Existential Analysis. His book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” which is also published as “From Death Camp to Existentialism”, tells of his experiences at the concentration camp, exploring the reasons for existence and the reasons to continue living despite tragic times. The book is actually considered as one of the most influential books in the United States for all time. He is considered to be a major figure in the science of existential therapy.

Explanation

The science of Psychiatry is widely known for its treatment of mentally-diseased individuals. While most of these diseases are indeed physiological and can be treated with medications and the like, some may indeed be considered as psychosomatic or psychological. And with pathologies that are, well, just in the mind—the, it can be treated with the patient’s control of his mind—and life as a whole at that. As Psychiatrists, as the doctors of patients with such diseases, are themselves, in many ways, the medication. They are the ones who will guide the patient take control of his troubled mind and often times, troubled outlook in life. The best medication of course, is the one that is indefatigable, or that that cannot be questioned. The psychiatrist should therefore have a very evident positive outlook in life—one that is not only inside him, but is evident with his life. After all, how can he tell his patient to be positive if he himself is not positive about his life?