R. Dalle Luche - Vol. 6, Giugno 2000, num.2
Testo Bibliografia Summary Riassunto Indice
Soggetto e identità: indicazioni
dalla pratica psichiatrica
Subject and identity: indications from
psychiatric practice
R. Dalle Luche
Responsabile Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura, ASL 1 Massa Carrara
The modifications of the sense of Self (self awareness, self experience) are ubiquitous in the different psychotic conditions: in early phases of schizophrenic and schizophreniform disorders - which have been called "I am illnesses" - we may observe feelings of extraneity of psychic acts and functions, splitting in an observing and observed ego, loss of personal identity, increasing introversion and compensatory hyperreflexivity (depersonalization states); in acute or chronic full blown psychotic conditions the impairment of reflexivity and insight supports delusional misidentifications of Self or the loss of a true I, which becomes a mere grammatical figure (depersonation states). In depressive disorders depersonalization concerns affective and volitional aspects of I (feeling of having no feelings, mismatch between projects and achievements); in manic states the lack of reflexivity is pointed out by impulsivity and diminished self-control.
Viewing these clinical disorders from a subjective perspective allows to elicit relevant issues about the construction of the sense of identity (of having an I) which ought to be taken into account in the up to date debate on the philosophy of mind.