Robert M. Young Online Writings
'Between Nosology and Narrative: Where Should We Be?' 95K
I was invited to give a paper to the Toronto Psychoanalytic Society and decided to reflect on the space between the sorts of classifications psychiatrists use and the idea of pure narrative. I reflected on the classifications in successive editions of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), including the dramatic change between DSM-II and DSM-III, involving an ideological shift from a psychodynamic to a behavioural approach. I also looked contrasting ways of thinking about Borderline Personality Disorder - DSM versus Kleinian. I conclude with an attempt to characterise my own rather folksy collection of analytic tools and and cutlery. The paper includes passages drawn from my other writings. It was presented on 9 January 1999.