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Re:Mental illness
J LaMuth · 12/04/03 at 11:55 PM ET
According to principles of modern psychiatry, two main classifications of psychosis are traditionally recognized; namely, the manic-depressive style of mood disorders, in addition to the various categories of schizophrenia. The mood disorders are typically much less debilitating than the schizophrenias, effectively representing the initial style of double-bind maneuvers with respect to the vices of excess. Although often exaggerated to some degree of excess, the mood disorders do not technically exhibit the bizarre degree of disqualification characterizing schizophrenia. In fact, the most telling feature of schizophrenia is precisely this extreme degree of disqualification, a feature particularly reminiscent of the counter double-bind maneuvers, similar to that observed for the humor maneuver proper. The detailed listing of syndomes above effectively fills-out the requisite four-level hierarchy of diagnostic slots predicted for the double-bind theory of mental illness. This precise degree of correspondence, in large part, relies primarily upon the detailed terminology contained within the English translation of Karl Leonhard's The Classification of Endogenous Psychoses, Fifth Edition (1979). According to this groundbreaking work, Leonhard distinguishes 38-plus distinctive classifications of clinical psychosis, which (in hind sight) conveniently account for the precise number of slots predicted for the double-bind theory of mental illness. In the interests of public service, a partial schematic representation of this copyrighted new system is reproduced below, in order to stir discussion concerning this radically-new innovation. ............ Narcissistic...... Borderline ............ Obsession...... Phobia Dependent ...... Avoidant ............ Compulsion ...... Anxiety PERSONALITY ................... NEUROSIS ............. Confabulatory ...... Suspicious ............ Confabulatory ... Fantastic Pure ...... Pure ....................... Expansive ....... Incoherent MOOD .......................... PARANOID .............. Enthusiastic ...... Self-Torturing ............ Proskinetic ...... Negativistic Unproductive ...... Harried ............ Parakinetic ...... Affected MOOD ......................... CATATONIC ............... Non-Partic. ... Non-Partic. ..... ................. Silly ........... Insipid Hypochond. ... Hypochond. ........ Eccentric ........ Autistic MOOD ................................ HEBEPHRENIC ............... According to this multi-level diagram, the traditional classification of schizophrenia into paranoid, catatonic, and hebephrenic categories is further explained in terms of the three-way specialization of group, spiritual, and humanitarian levels within the power hierarchy. A similar degree of correspondence is further seen with respect to the remaining categories of the mood disorders: as in mania, melancholy, euphoria, and depression. These three formal categories (for both schizophrenia and the mood disorders) are further subdivided into numerous sub-classifications, tailor-made for incorporation into the provisional transitional hierarchy. Indeed, a detailed comparison of the current diagram with that outlining the vices of excess (presented earlier) gives a preliminary indication of the exquisite degree of correspondence between these two major listings of terms. The most basic personal level within the power hierarchy represents a special case due to the less debilitating nature of its affiliated symptomology. This initial level, accordingly, is specified through the respective listings of personality disorders and the neuroses: as further verified in the terminology contained within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV). In particular, the personality disorders are explained as "personal" variations on the preliminary double-bind class of maneuvers, neatly dovetailing into the three-level hierarchy of the mood disorders. In a related fashion, the more bizarre symptomology associated with the neuroses further exhibits the distinct potential for grading over into the affiliated sequence related to schizophrenia: a circumstance clearly suggestive of the dynamics underlying the counter double-bind class of maneuvers. In particular, the neurotic syndromes of obsession/compulsion and phobia/anxiety are clearly less debilitating than those seen for schizophrenia, representing disqualified maneuvers restricted to the most basic "personal" level of the power hierarchy. This personal degree of specialization further leaves the remaining group, spiritual, and humanitarian levels essentially unaffected, allowing for an effective outpatient course of treatment. The affiliated categories of the psychoses, however, directly affect the group authority levels (or higher), explaining the tendency for more global psychological effects. This broader sphere of influence undoubtedly accounts for the greater incidence of psychoses that come to the attention of the authorities, in direct contrast to the neuroses, where only particular relationships are affected.
Personality ...... Personality ............. Neurosis ...... Neurosis
Personality ...... Personality ............ Neurosis ...... Neurosis
DISORDERS ...................................
(Personal Double-Bind)....(Personal Counter- Double-Bind)
Euphoria ...... Depression ................ Paraphrenia ...... Paraphrenia
Mania ...... Melancholy ............ Paraphrenia ...... Paraphrenia
DISORDERS (I) .................. SCHIZOPHRENIA
(Group Double-Bind) ..... (Group Counter Double-Bind)
Euphoria ...... Depression ................. Catatonia ...... Catatonia
Euphoria ...... Depression ............ Catatonia ...... Catatonia
DISORDERS (II) ............ ...... SCHIZOPHRENIA
(Spiritual Double-Bind) ..... (Spiritual Counter Double-Bind)
Euphoria ...... Depression ............ Hebephrenia ... Hebephrenia
Euphoria ...... Depression ............ Hebephrenia ...... Hebephrenia
DISORDERS (III) ................... SCHIZOPHRENIA
(Humanitarian Double-Bind) ... (Humanit. Counter Double-Bind)
JLM
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