Psychosis Is Not Illness but a Survival Strategy in Severe Stress: A Proposal for an Addition to a Phenomenological Point of View.
Jaakko Seikkula
Psychopathology 2019 DOI: 10.1159/000500162 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Dialogism Embodied mind Open dialogues Psychosis Relational mind Responsiveness |
| Key points | Argues that psychosis is not a defined pathological state but a response to extreme stress within an embodied and relational mind, emerging when relationships fail to provide adequate responses. Proposes that when dialogical responses are guaranteed, recovery from psychotic behavior can occur, and offers guidelines for such dialogues. |
Abstract
Phenomenology often looks at psychosis as a defined pathological state. In this paper, psychosis is not seen as a (pathological) state but as a way to respond in extreme stress. It is psychological functioning of the embodied and relational mind, and psychotic experience can be seen as one form of affective arousal among any other affects. Taken the point of views of Emmanuel Levinas and Mikhail Bakhtin about the primacy of living in responsive relationships, psychotic behavior is seen as emerging in relationships that do not guarantee adequate responses and thus the subject is imposed to isolate from social relationships and developing odd behavior. If dialogical responses are guaranteed, recovery from psychotic behavior can occur. Some guidelines for such dialogues are given.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics. World Psychiatry June 1, 2022
- Self-treatment of psychosis and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with LSD and DMT—A retrospective case study Psychiatry Research Case Reports July 15, 2022
- Ayahuasca in the treatment of bipolar disorder with psychotic features–A retrospective case study March 10, 2023
- Ayahuasca revisited. Case studies & observations June 9, 2025
- Paving the way for systemic phenomenological psychiatry - the forgotten heritage of Wolfgang Blankenburg. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022
Cites 2
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