contents of the workshop Based on a short conceptual analysis of emotion it can be clarified why psychopathology cannot just be seen as an organismic or psychic state. When I am angry, my organism is (indeed) in a certain state; however, the anger also expresses something about myself (e.g., that I am insulted). In this session it will be explored how and to what extent different forms of psychopathology can be seen as similar expressions of ‘self-relatedness’.
There are three parallel levels that are involved in psychiatric disorder; i.e.: 1. The level of the (organismic, psychic) state. 2. The level of one’s relating to this state. 3. The level of how this ‘relating’ expresses something about oneself (the person suffering from the pathological state).
Psychiatry needs a threefold layered concept of disease. This more refined concept of disease makes it more easy to integrate psychotherapy in a natural way into psychiatric practice.
format PowerPoint-supported oral presentation with written summaries and free discussion on the basis of case histories presented by the presenter.
aim At the end of the session the participant
will be better able to understand the problems and complexities of psychiatry’s concept of disease. The participant will also be able to apply a more refined, threefold layered notion of disorder on psychiatric cases.