THE PAINFUL BODY OF THE PSYCHOTIC - ALTER NATIVES OF PSYCHIATRIC-SYMPTOMS AND SOMATIC DISEASES BY SOMATIC PATIENTS

This paper revises the medical and psychoanalytical studies approachin g the relationship between physical and psychiatric symptoms in the ps ychotic patient, with special attention to P. Marry, A. Andreoli and C . Dejours works. The authors report two patients suffering from mood d isorders whose psychiatric symptoms disappeared when a pneumonia appea red. They also present two psychotic patients who has been treated for several years with description of the oscillation between psychiatric and physical symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms in psychosis permit a dis charge way of the psychic excitement that provides a protective effect against somatic disorders. The effectiveness of ancient or modern psy chiatric therapeutics is partially based on their body effect (like hy poglicemics in Sakel therapy: seizures in E.C.T, fever in malaria ther apy iatrogenic parkinsonism in neuroleptic treatment). Human physical illness allows body cathexis and reorganisation of the psychic life.