Bleuler's Concept of Schizophrenia: A Confusing Heritage
HELM STIERLIN M.D., PH.D.1
1 Head, Psychotherapy Unit, Adult Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md. 20014
In his work on schizophrenia, Eugen Bleuler attempted to reconcile contemporary psychiatric and psychoanalytic ideas. He found intrapsychic complexes, as described by Freud, at the root of the schizophrenic symptomatology and searched for a theory by which this symptomatology could be related to organic causes. Semon's theory of psychic engrams and their associative links seemed to fit this purpose. In creatively integrating viewpoints from Kraepelin, Freud, and Semon, Bleuler enriched and—to a degree—revolutionized the concept of schizophrenia. Still, Bleuler's reconciling efforts did not fulfill the promise they held. Today we deal with a confusing heritage.
