Psychological Continuities: From Dissociative States to Alcohol Use and Suicide in Arctic Populations

This report draws on a number of studies of Eskimo suicide, alcohol abuse, and the traditional dissociative state, to show that these three phenomena have served similar psychological functions for the Eskimo. Hypothesizes that the central dynamic in each of these behaviors involves escaping feelings of social worthlessness, and repression of endangered feelings of frustration and anger.(MB)