RETICULARIZATION - A PARAMETER IN THE PSY CHOANALYTICAL TREATMENT OF PSYCHOTIC-PATIENTS

The psychoanalytical treatment of psychotic patients requires for some technical variations. The author describes a variation, which he term s reticularization (''Vernetzung''). It is a parameter, which often ps ychotic patients tend to install. Reticularization is the tendency, to involve the analyst with other relationships of the patient. The psyc hoanalyst should neither interpret this as a way of acting out nor try to stop it nor strengthen it. It should be considered to be a helpful method for the patient to sustain the therapeutic alliance, but to pr otect himself from symbiosis or unbearable dependency. The psychoanaly st profits by it too: in times of aggravated illness of the patient he finds some relief and in his phantasy he is part of a network releasi ng him from strong and threatening countertransference affects. For th e patient the capacity of the analyst to integrate diverse connections sets an example to overcome his own tendency of fragmentation and spl itting. If treatment is continued long enough, the patient gives up re ticularization, indicating the transition from a psychotic to a neurot ic stage of functionning and his increased capacity of symbolizing.