Abstract
Sexuality and
sexual disorders of patients with psychoses are frequently neglected and
under-investigated. The main purpose of the present study is to discuss
the subjective experience of sexuality in patients with psychosis
within the general psychodynamic and phenomenological understandings of
psychotic states. The authors, both psychotherapists, dealing with
patients with psychoses, reflected experiences from their clinical work
with the help of the conceptual frameworks of psychodynamic and
phenomenological psychiatry. Willingness and need of patients to talk
about sexuality, non-specificity of frequencies and variety of sexual
disorders in psychotic patients, difficulties in establishment of a
stable (sexual) identity and the question of homosexuality, absence of
sexual activities with others and feelings of guilt and inadequacy,
masturbation with its functions, impulsive sexual acts or lack of sexual
self-control, erotic delusions and erotic transference were the main
findings, dominating the sexual sphere of these patients. All these
manifestations of sexuality in patients with psychosis can be seen - as
exposed in discussion - as consequences of a basic self-disorder
(phenomenological perspective) or of difficulties in regulating
closeness and distance (psychodynamic perspective). Reasons of avoidance
of treatment of sexuality by the therapists of psychotic patients are
discussed as well. Implications for dealing with sexuality issues in
psychotherapy of patients with psychoses were drawn from the above
findings in the last part of the article.
No comments:
Post a Comment