Does Madness Really Exist? An autobiographical analysis of psychosis as a response to trauma and not a ‘mad’ state of mind

The relatively new method of autoethnography as valid research is used in this paper. combines a personal and introspective approach with the academic method. By reflecting on her experience psychosis, first author (LF) attempts to show how psychotic symptoms, such delusions or paranoid perceptions, have symbolic meaning could relate previous traumatic experiences. She uses Winnicott’s concept ‘true’ ‘false’ self applies it illness. Using auto-ethnographic details experiences, she indicates trauma, associated falsification its understanding, led distortion, i‧e., false reality, symptom typically psychosis. A brief comparison then made two other published auto-biographical cases. In light self-analysis careful reading key psychoanalytic texts, explores explains what, experience, may lead people act manner not typical their true being might explain rare dangerous behaviour that can occur some understanding psychosis ‘madness’ (i‧e., be without reason) revealed due lack possible underlying causes.