Mr A was aged 42 at the time of his admission to this hospital 20 years previously. His father had been an army officer, his mother had died young, and his childhood had been loveless and arid. After boarding school, he had been commissioned into his father's regiment and had for a time done well and been decorated for bravery. However, by his mid-thirties, his drinking was becoming notorious and he was faced with the choice of forced discharge or resignation. Back into civilian life and with a wife and two children to support, he went into a security business, which was soon insolvent. By the time of the hospital admission he had severe alcohol dependence and most aspects of his life were in ruin – he was separated from his family, heavily in debt and facing prosecution for financial irregularities. It was unclear whether he had a depressive illness, but he confessed to having at times strong suicidal ruminations and said, ‘I wonder if I've always been depressed’. The last entry in the notes read, ‘Removed from ward today by police on charge of fraud.’