On recovery from the postpsychotic collapse in schizophrenia

First the author pointed out that the postpsychotic state, the state of decreased activity which emerges shortly after the disappearance of acute symptoms, had been regarded as an independent stage in the treatment process of schizophrenic breakdown. Then he presented the case of family therapy in which the patient was a 19-year-old university student with the postpsychotic collapse. The author observed interesting phenomena during the treatment in which the patient gave rise to the homosexual physical touch with his father when going to bed in the evening and making up nursery stories with his mother when getting up in the morning, consequently leading to the recovery of dreams with wishful fulfillment. This process was discussed from the point of view of the concept of transitional object (Winnicott) and the formation of symbol functioning (Bion). Finally the postpsychotic collapse was considered as a regression to primary narcissism.