IN March 1979, I was a successful 50-year-old surgeon, hard-driving and competitive, and subject to all the stressful pressures inherent in a busy surgical practice. In addition, during the previous 18 months I had experienced a barrage of major disruptions in my life, including the breakup of my marriage, the loss of my father through death, the "loss" of one child to college and another through separation when her mother and I parted, a serious ankle injury in another child, unexpected major surgery involving two close family members, a move from my home to an apartment, and of course numerous . . .