Symbiosis in Adulthood
DAVID A. SHAPIRO M.D.1
1 Instructor in Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and Preceptor in Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York, N.Y.
The author describes a symbiotic syndrome in adults that, although similar to the syndrome in children, has some distinguishing features. He cites four case examples. He believes it is useful to be precise in distinguishing symbiosis from other chronic psychotic and borderline states because of specific differences in therapy. Without such a distinction, therapy is often frustrating and even dangerous.
