SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF THE BASIC CONFLICT IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - SUGGESTIONS FOR TREATMENT

The author gives a short overview of theoretical concepts and therapeu tic strategies concerning schizophrenic psychosis. The consequence of a comparison with results from infant research is a more precise defin ition of the concept of the basic conflict in schizophrenia and a crit icism of the concept of projective identification. After this is demon strated by the example of 4 patients, a modified psychoanalytic procee ding, which focusses on the intrapsychic and interpersonal disorder of communication forming the basis of schizophrenia, is introduced. A fi rst phase requires from the analyst to maintain his capacity to think, and his inner symbolic space in a highly affective situation. The sec ond phase consists in the attempt to render possible an inner represen tation of the patient's problems by noninterpretative ways. In a third phase it becomes increasingly possible to use psychoanalysis in a mor e classical way.