History and Theory Lecture 6

Lecture 6 - Psychodynamic Theories
 The roots of psychoanalysis (‘treatment’ of mental illness)
o Hysteria
 Umbrella term for all kinds of mental illness that appear not to have a
physical cause
 In 1980 ‘hysteria’ was replaced with more specific categories of
‘somatoform’ and ‘dissociative’ disorders in the DSM-III
 Until the late 18th century, provisions for the mentally ill where
horrendous
 Thought the reflect possession by evil spirits
 Put on show for the amusement of the public
 Permanently in chains
 Care/Treatment
o Blood-letting
o Malnutrition
o ‘shock treatments’  common practice
o Somatoform disorder
 Various physical symptoms with no apparent cause
 Undifferentiated somatoform disorder
 Conversion disorder
 Pain disorder
 Hypochondriasis
o Dissociative disorders
 Persistent ‘out-of-body’ experiences
 Dissociative amnesia
 Dissociative fugue
 Dissociative identity disorder
 Dissociative disorder not otherwise specified
o Jonathon Joseph Gassner (1727-1779)
 Cure many illnesses through exorcism
 Ensure patient believes in the powers of Christ
 Command demons responsible for illness to leave the patients
body
o Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815)
 Similar results to Gassner but he argued it was due to magnetic forces in
his own body
 Precursor to hypnosis
 A commission evaluating the claims ultimately concluded that the effects
were the result of suggestibility rather than magnetic forces
 Mesmer  mesmerize
 Prevailed due to the placebo effect
o Philippe pinel 91745-1826)
 One of the first to advocate the humane treatment of the mentally ill