DR. JOHN'S CASE BOOK....................................................................................................

• Bridge players often transfer blame away from themselves by either loading it onto partner......or putting it all down to bad luck. PARANOIA CATASTROPHOBIA is an irrational fear that strikes certain players, who very quickly convince themselves that the spectre of misfortune and bad luck is out to get them. This affliction quickly takes hold of its victims right at the start of a session, when the first bad board is recorded. Each successive bad board reinforces the belief even more that they really are cursed with bad luck.... eternally damned. Inevitably, subsequent decisions become based on irrational thinking that the cards will be lying badly..................and because they're not ....... further disasters occur. It has been noticed that this condition affects the friday night players more, especially those who turn out on the 13th of the month, having crossed the path of a black cat on the way to the club. From then on there is no way on earth that the right decision, concerning a two-way finesse for instance, can ever be made. Because they feel dark forces are against them......and fear the worse......they talk themselves into making the wrong decisions. Tragically for them, the fear multiplies exponentially after each and every bad board.