DR. JOHN'S CASE NOTES : THE HUMPTY DUMPTY TRAGEDY

This disorder, strangely, is named in reference to its cause rather than its consequences. Basically, it is brought on by the cumulative abuse heaped upon victims by their unrelenting, unforgiving partners, who in the end decide to " dump " them. These unsavoury people, renown for getting the " hump " , can never cope well playing with inferiors, and so it is only a matter of time before they push the these hapless players over the edge. Even for these sadistic bullies, enough is enough ( or as they say in France " un oeuf est un oeuf " ) .

This final rejection has terrible consequences in that the victims have their self-belief completely destroyed. Their self-esteem. self-value, self-worth and self-confidence have all plummeted to zero. Their fragile shell-like egos have been smashed to bits, and no one seems able to pick up the pieces to start the process of rebuilding.

Indeed, the victims with this disorder get so cracked up by the whole experience, they inevitably suffer from a complete mental breakdown. No matter how many kings' ransoms are paid over to professional experts like me, apparantly nothing can be done for them. The real tragedy is that victims can never be put back together again as happy confident bridge players.

The last client I had with this affliction was, in my view, " completely off the wall " , almost certifiable. When I broke the news to him that he was incurable, he quietly stepped outside my office I laid down in front of an on-coming 10 ton truck. His body was scrambled all over the road. Such a terrible tragedy......but that is of course the nature of this shattering condition.