Addiction in the light of the hypothesis of ordinary psychosis

by | Vol 31 (1) 2013

In the language of psychiatry in the English-speaking world the signifiers of “dependence” and “comorbidity” tend to co-occur. Meanwhile, in psychoanalytic jargon we witness the birth of the concept of ordinary psychosis. With reference to clinical cases, we will discuss our work with those dependent subjects who have a structure in which the function of the father is not operating. A distinction will be made between psychiatric or decompensated psychosis on the one hand and ordinary psychosis on the other. Possible diagnostic signs of ordinary psychosis, for example, disconnection (débranchement), will be discussed. We will also articulate our therapeutic point of view with regard to these subjects, for instance the way in which de-intoxication can trigger this disconnection or, alternatively, how reconnection (rebranchement) can be facilitated.

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