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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

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Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Summary
This study presents a model of psychotic and non-psychotic thinking, comparing it to Jekyll and Hyde. It details how these states interact within individuals and therapists, influencing therapeutic outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Theory
Background:
- Presents a dual-mode model of the psyche: non-psychotic and psychotic thinking.
- Relates these modes to the Jekyll and Hyde myth for insight into their nature.
Observation:
- A non-psychotic state is linked to personal history, development, and conflicts, operating in the depressive position.
- A psychotic state is characterized by a timeless present, lacking origin, development, or conflict, operating in the paranoid-schizoid position.
Findings:
- Detailed case study of a psychotic patient illustrates the alternation and interaction of psychotic and non-psychotic states.
- Therapist's countertransference evolved from concrete to symbolic, leading to a dual-effect interpretation.
- Interpretation resulted in a negative therapeutic reaction, marked by psychotic fury, yet enhanced patient-therapist communication.
Implications:
- The study suggests that even negative therapeutic reactions can facilitate movement from the paranoid-schizoid to the depressive position.
- Highlights the dynamic interplay between psychotic and non-psychotic states in psychoanalysis.
- Offers insights into managing complex patient-therapist interactions in psychoanalytic therapy.
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