The challenge of psychiatry and psychotherapy facing the crisis of modern self-understanding

Abstract

Psychiatry and psychotherapy are particularly dependent on the prevailing culture. In the last half century, during which the author has worked as a university professor, clinic director and therapist in private practice, psychiatry and psychotherapy have changed in many ways. Taking into account the changes in society and the related changes in the human self-image, the book deals with the changes in the forms of mental illness. Already today, a tendency towards the reification of feelings and an increased preoccupation with self-worth can be observed. For example, feelings of guilt have become rarer in severely depressed people today. At the same time, depressed people wrestle more often with slights and injured self-worth. The «self» is also mainly understood reflexively like an object. Pre-reflexive, as it were bodily-mental parts receive little attention in psychotherapies as well. This tendency could be further strengthened by digitalization with Big Data. This makes it all the more important to deal with the future of psychiatry and psychotherapy, also in knowledge of their history.