Psychosis and identity: Alteration or loss?

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Mind
• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Background:

• Psychotic disorders introduce significant, often irreversible changes to an individual's life.
• Individuals strive to maintain a sense of continuous self despite these profound shifts.
• Existing philosophical models of identity often rely on stability, which conflicts with the nature of psychotic disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how transitions in psychotic disorders challenge conventional and philosophical notions of selfhood.
• To investigate the implications of these challenges for understanding personal identity.
• To advocate for alternative models of identity in the context of psychotic disorders.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of identity theories.
• Examination of the subjective experience of individuals with psychotic disorders.
• Conceptual exploration of selfhood and continuity.

Main Results:

• Conventional and philosophical models of identity are ill-equipped to account for the trajectory of psychotic disorders.
• Psychotic disorders necessitate a re-evaluation of what constitutes a continuous self.
• The experience of selfhood persists despite radical changes.

Conclusions:

• A new framework is needed to understand identity in the context of psychotic disorders, moving beyond notions of simple loss of self.
• Alternative philosophical models can better accommodate the dynamic and transformative nature of these conditions.
• Understanding identity requires acknowledging the individual's ongoing effort to assimilate change into their self-concept.