[A systemic view on psychosis]

The experience of time changes during life. In the youth time changes slowly from the longitudinal point of view, looking cross on life very fast. In older ages regularly it is the opposite matter, although there are throughout all ages significant intra- and interindividually differences. Experience of time is highly sensitive towards changes of one's self-experience, which can be well observed in psychiatric disorders. In case of psychosis identity of time and experienced synchronism (as certainty to be in the time with others) will be destroyed. There is a kind of breaking up time, a compression of time, where there is no before nor after. In depressed people time experience is similar to elder people, accordingly manic patients feel something like children in this sense. Dissociation of time has got a key role for understanding psychosis from the systemic point of view. Synchrone dissociation is distinguished from diachrone dissociation. In the first case conflicts will be "solved" through excessive simultaneity, undercutting the minimal time interval. The possibilities of differences are made impossible. Secondly the maximum of the time interval is exceeded; therefore the integration of opposite aspects is impossible. Equally no conflict will be possible. Both kinds of dissociation lead to "pseudo-harmony" of interrelational systems, despite of potency for conflicts. In family systems with schizophrenic members synchrone dissociation is typical, whereas diachrone dissociation is common in those with affective disorders. Both of them will be found in communicative systems with patients suffering from schizoaffective disorders. In between occur fierce arguments, when "protection" of dissociation is not granted.