On Fri, 3 Sep 1999, Stephanie I. Bush wrote:
> I have a case book for the abnormal psych class I'm teaching. In it,
> the famous case of Anna O. is described as a multiple personality
> disorder. I've seen her described as "hysterical" and as a conversion
> disorder, but never MPD. Any thoughts?
There's an interesting article by Michael Weissberg (1993) on the
topic. According to Weissberg, Anna O "fits current criteria for
multiple personality disorder". Nevertheless, he concludes:
"Anna's illness--multiple personality disorder--and the theory of her
treatment--abreaction and catharsis--may have resulted from
suggestion, bias, and unwitting collusion between the doctor and his
patient...Anna O., the first patient of psychoanalysis, may also have
been a first case of iatrogenic [treatment-induced--sb] multiple
personality disorder".
-Stephen
Weissberg, M. (1993). Multiple personality disorder and iatrogenesis:
the cautionary tale of Anna O. The International Journal of
Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, vol. XLI [whatever the heck that
is], 15-34.
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Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC
J1M 1Z7
Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
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