Mania in the mirror: A qualitative study of recovery of mania within a Lacanian psychoanalytic framework.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of recovery from and dealing with experiences of mania within a Lacanian psychoanalytic framework and to build on existing Lacanian theory to clarify processes of identification involved in recovering from experiences of mania. Based on a qualitative interview study including 18 individuals with experiences of mania, the authors undertook a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts, resulting in six themes that form a trajectory of identity construction. The first part of the results provides a thematic description of the steps that participants took in regard to living with their manic experiences. Subsequently, the authors interpret the results of the initial bottom-up thematic analysis using Lacan's model of the double mirror, a theoretical model of identity and subjectivity concerning the relationship between drives, drive-regulation, and identification. In terms of Lacan's model, the authors describe the trajectory of recovery as one of gaining mastery over manic experiences by developing ways of representing the drive and by adopting and further developing a shared narrative about the drive.