Trapped Between Theological and Medical Notions of Possession: A Case of Possession Trance Disorder With a 3-Year Follow-Up
Frontiers in Psychiatry May 26, 2022 Igor J. Pietkiewicz, Urszula Kłosińska, Radosław Tomalski 12 citations
A Caucasian Roman-Catholic woman who had undergone exorcisms for affect regulation problems, uncontrolled sexual impulses, and somatoform symptoms with altered consciousness received a diagnosis of Possession Trance Disorder. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the case study explores how she attributed meaning to "possession" as both a folk category and a medical diagnosis, and how this shaped her help-seeking. The diagnosis reinforced her belief in supernatural causation and discouraged professional treatment. The study also discusses dilemmas and uncertainties about the diagnostic criteria and validity of the disorder.