Why Psychosis is Not Madness. Recommendations for Specialists, Patients and Their Families

Renowned psychoanalyst Stein Vanheule asserts that approximately 15 percent of the world's population has experienced a psychotic episode at least once, during which they lost contact with reality. Despite this, we often fear discussing psychosis and avoid interacting with people undergoing it. How can we help such individuals?
The author examines scientific theories ranging from Sigmund Freud to Jacques Lacan, examples from the lives of his own patients, and notable figures such as American director David Lynch, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, and one of the founders of modern psychology, Carl Gustav Jung. The author concludes that human interaction is built on the stories people tell each other - stories about the past, about understanding themselves and their place in the world. In a state of psychosis, a person can no longer rely on these stories - their reality collapses.

Stein Vanheule offers ways to restore health to such individuals through humanistic dialogue and a joint search for meaning.