Presidential address: medicine, psychiatry, and psychoanalysis--Roots III of progressive psychoanalysis.
In order to preserve and be more specific about the proper domain of psychoanalysis, those of us who are concerned about the psychoanalysis of the future must be increasingly aware of new knowledge in medicine and psychiatry. We must be fully aware of current progress especially when these contributions affect the care and treatment of our patients. I have enumerated several examples where new knowledge is very important in the care of our patients. I believe that the psychoanalysis of the future will be much more flexible, much in the image of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis, and will be aimed toward the correction of the omission of the vast majority of Americans from consideration for psychoanalytic therapy. One of our founding presidents, Franz Alexander, showed us the way decades ago when he insisted upon the importance of flexibility in psychoanalytic therapy and also advocated short term psychoanalytic therapy. I do not need to remind us that Sigmund Freud himself began by analyzing his analysands first for three months and later for six. Indeed, let me close by telling you the delightful story related by Abram Kardiner about how he himself was analyzed by Freud. Kardiner arrived in Vienna and found that Freud had overscheduled himself! Instead of having eight patients, he had invited nine to come to see him. His daughter, Anna Freud, brilliantly (perhaps as a forecast of her subsequent important contributions to psychoanalysis) suggested to her father that he see his analysands only five times a week instead of six. Thus, Abram Kardiner was able to become one of the pioneering psychoanalysts who have contributed much to American psychiatry and psychoanalysis. I hope that all of use will also think in flexible and innovative ways for the improvement of psychoanalysis and for the benefit of our patients in the future.
D005619:Freudian Theory; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D011572:Psychoanalysis / Q000639:trends*; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000639:trends; D011639:Public Opinion; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents