Harvard professor Edward Khantzian discovers Armenia
by Tom Vartabedian
Published: Saturday June 04, 2011
Dr. Khantzian in Armenia.
Cambridge, Mass. – Life is hardly a retirement mode for Dr. Edward
Khantzian. At 76, he serves as a clinical professor of psychiatry at
Harvard University, consults at a hospital and still plays an active
game of tennis.
He’s spent more than three decades studying psychological factors
associated with drug and alcohol abuse and just returned from Yerevan
where he was a keynote speaker at a regional meeting of the World
Psychiatric Association.
The experience left an indelible impression upon him, being his first
visit to Armenia and seeing the impact of his presentation upon his
prominent peers.
“Being aware of our history as a ravaged culture and country with
recurrent disasters and national upheaval through most of the 20th
century, I had expected to witness many indications of remorse,” he
indicated. “Instead, I was repeatedly struck by many examples of
national pride and resilience.”
The professional meeting attracted more than 250 international
psychiatrists, including a heavy representation from Eastern Europe.
The event was launched by a gala reception at the Opera House,
featuring extraordinary performances by an ensemble and renowned opera
singer Anna Mayilyan.
The group was housed at the Armenia Marriott Hotel over three days
where keynote speakers were presented inside the large ballroom.
Theme was: “Mental Health in a Changing World.” Special attention was
given to the worldwide impact of disasters. A special symposium was
devoted to the Armenian Genocide including the effects of denial and
trauma. Almost without exception, the presentations were in English.
Dr. Khantzian spoke about addictive disorders such as opium which, he
says, remains a growing concern in that part of the world.
“The problem of alcoholism is very prevalent in Armenia and associated
with a lot of other problems, including domestic violence,” he notes.
“I was informed there is an emerging addiction to opium. One solution
is the use of drug methadone which was emphasized in my presentation.”
Dr. Khantzian has a distinguished resume in his field. After working
as a technical writer at Raytheon for one year, off he trekked to the
medical side. The doctor was born and raised in Haverhill to parents
from Malatia, Turkey. Both parents were shoe workers. His mother was a
genocide survivor.
“She did not hide or protect me from that segment of history – a grim
folklore of sorts,” said Dr. Khantzian. “Her stories were full of
resourcefulness.”
He and his wife Carol have been married over 50 years and share the
love of four children and 13 grandchildren while living in nearby
Groveland.
An Armenian-Iranian psychologist at the University of Southern
California was familiar with his work on addictions and recommended
him to the organizing committee for this conference. It didn’t take
much convincing to attend.
“One of my goals was to explain how the substitution of a legal
medication such as methadone in place of illegal opium works best,” he
brought out. “My hope is that such a perspective will help clinicians
appreciate the enormous suffering involved with addiction and how
individuals try to self-medicate such pain.”
During his stay, Dr. Khantzian visited numerous museums and
monasteries, including Etchmiadzin, along with a day trip to Lake
Sevan. He got to sample the very best Armenian cuisine and took
advantage of the finest hospitality shown.
The trip served another purpose for Dr. Khantzian. It brought him back
to his roots.
“Being married to a non-Armenian, I had grown apart from the Armenian
community,” he admitted. “But I never denied my proud ethnicity.
Although I had seen pictures of the monasteries, visiting these
historic sites made a tremendous impact upon me. I was deeply touched
by the genocide memorial at Tzezernagapert and that eternal flame.”
Two examples of trauma which remain indelible in his mind are the
genocide and the earthquake of 1988 which took nearly 30,000 lives in
and around Gyumri and Spitak.
“Through all this suffering and human/natural catastrophes,” he says,
“Armenians have remained ambivalent, even during their years under the
Soviet regime. The landmarks, lore and historical sites mark the
important role Armenians have played toward the development of Western
civilization.”
Among the other speakers were Dr. Armen Soghoyan, president, Armenian
Psychiatric Association, who directed the conference; Dr. Armen
Goenjian, professor of psychiatry, UCLA; Dr. Samvel Torossian, chief
psychiatrist, Republic of Armenia; Dr.Hagop Akiskal, professor of
psychiatry, an internationally-recognized expert on mood disorders;
Dr. Vahe Simonyan, psychiatrist; Kristine Torossian, psychologist, and
Dr. Louis M. Najarian, professor of psychiatry at Hofstra North
Shore-LU School of Medicine, who was part of a symposium covering two
decades of rehabilitation work following the earthquake.
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