On Being Normal and Other Disorders

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Winner of the 2005 Goethe Award in Psychoanalytic Scholarship, this work argues that psychic identity is shaped by primary intersubjective relationships, making the diagnosis of potential pathologies reliant on these connections. The effectiveness of treatment hinges on the therapeutic relationship, highlighting the significance of this diagnostic approach. Paul Verhaeghe critically assesses the contemporary DSM-diagnostic, noting that its lack of an updated metapsychology undermines its therapeutic value. He proposes a new metapsychology that integrates a Freudo-Lacanian perspective with contemporary empirical research, emphasizing the intertwined processes of identity acquisition. The self and the Other are not distinct entities; instead, subject formation emerges from the dynamic interplay between them. This theoretical framework engages in dialogue with modern research findings, offering practical insights for differential diagnostics. The book examines post-modern categories of anxiety, personality, and post-traumatic stress disorders through established neurotic, psychotic, and perverse structures, while also distinguishing between actual pathology and psychopathology. These perspectives illuminate the role of language and the subject's relationship with the Other, revealing their implications for treatment throughout the text.