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Thinking, discourse and the denial of history: psychodynamic aspects of mental handicap

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Brendan McCormack
Brendan McCormack*
Affiliation:
Harperbury Hospital, Radlett, Herts, England and Haringey Community Team for People with Learning Difficulties, St. Ann's Hospital, London N15
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Abstract

This paper explores the contribution of psychoanalytic theories to mental handicap and proposes that mental handicap can be seen primarily as a problem of communication with others (discourse), with oneself (thinking) and with one's own past (history).

This paper also examines concepts of curiosity and thinking, knowledge of history and mental handicap as discourse. To illustrate certain points, examples from case histories are used (real names not used).

Keywords

psychotherapymental handicapdiscourse.
Type
Perspectives
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 1991 , pp. 59 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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