New Books in Psychoanalysis Richard Reichbart, "The Anatomy of a Psychotic Experience: A Personal Account of Psychosis and Creativity" (Ipbooks, 2022)
Mar 20, 2025
Richard Reichbart, a distinguished psychoanalyst and author, shares his profound journey through psychosis in a deeply personal narrative. He reveals how significant life events, including the loss of his grandfather, precipitated his psychotic experience. The discussion explores the complex interplay of grief and childhood attachment, highlighting how these elements shaped his identity and creativity. Reichbart emphasizes the healing power of therapeutic relationships and recounts transformative moments from his time on a Navajo reservation, blending personal struggle with insights into the nature of psychosis.
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Psychotic Episode Triggered by Loss
- Richard Reichbart experienced a psychotic episode from ages 32 to 37 triggered by his grandfather's death.
- During this period, he lived on the Navajo reservation, which he describes as ideal for nurturing his psychosis.
Early Loss Shapes Psychosis
- Early attachment loss deeply influenced Reichbart's psychosis, especially his grandparents' deaths and a traumatic event involving a maid.
- These childhood losses shaped his unconscious aggression and difficulties maintaining close relationships.
Childhood Ledge Walk Symbolism
- At age four, Reichbart walked outside on a dangerous window ledge to connect with the memory of his lost maternal figure.
- This act symbolized his repeated attempts to cope with loss by engaging with the natural and unfamiliar world, such as the Navajo reservation.