Women & Psychosis: Multidisciplinary Perspectives

Description

Interrogating the relationship between women and psychosis from a variety of perspectives, this edited collection explores personal, literary, spiritual, psychological, biological, and psychodynamic approaches. The contributors reflect on medieval mystics and witches, postpartum psychosis, disordered eating, art and literature, feminism, and male/female differences in schizophrenia. Women with experience of psychosis, psychotherapists, and a shaman provide first-person accounts to give the book a personal grounding. Curated with the intent to expand the way we think about women and psychosis, the contributors to this collection recognize that “voices and visions” do not occur in a vacuum, but are experienced within, and are influenced by, particular socio-cultural contexts. Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Introduction......Page 15 I: WOMEN & PSYCHOSIS IN ARTS & CULTURE......Page 23 1 Women and Madness in Context......Page 25 2 Explicate or Relate......Page 51 3 Stories......Page 73 II: WOMEN, PSYCHOSIS & THE BODY......Page 93 4 Snakes in the Crib......Page 95 5 Disordered Eating and Distorted Thinking in Women......Page 123 III: WOMEN, PSYCHOSIS & SPIRITUALITY......Page 137 6 Mystics, Witches, or Hysterics?......Page 139 7 From Sick to Gifted......Page 163 IV: PSYCHIATRIC PERSPECTIVES ON WOMEN & PSYCHOSIS......Page 173 8 Psychosis in Women......Page 175 9 Schizophrenia in Women as Compared to Men......Page 201 Index......Page 217 About the Editors and Contributors......Page 225