In The Myth of Mental Illness, Psychiatrist Thomas S. Szasz dispels the notion of mental illness as an actual disease. Mental illnesses manifest themselves by means of mental symptoms which refer to a patient’s perception of himself, others, and the world around him. In contrast, bodily diseases manifest themselves by means of symptoms referable to those parts of the body. Szasz argues, in order to be considered a disease, there must be a pathological definition for the symptoms. Since mental illnesses do not have a pathological stem, they should be considered as behavioral disorders. Each of the chapters deals with mental illness in one form or another. In chapter 15, The Ethics of Psychiatry, Szasz discusses the object relations and game-playing model of human behavior, psychoanalysis and ethics, and finally psychiatry as a social action.
Szasz begins by introducing the game-playing model. The participants are the players and their engagements become the games. The metaphors allow analysts to classify and label specific situations based on foreknowledge of past experiences.
According to Szasz, the object relations theory corresponds greatly with the game theory when the loss of objects or games is examined. In order to function properly, Szasz maintains, people need enduring and sustaining objects and games worth playing. If these items are lost, the person may also lose their security and aspirations as a direct consequence. The object or game demised may include a family member, marriage, or job. Unless an appropriate substitution is not found, the loss could severely alter the game and the players must then adapt to their environment.
The object and game theory differ in many instances as well. Although the game theory requires learning, the object theory does not. In contrast transference can be largely attributed to the object theory and less to the game theory. Transference is the unconscious redirection of emotions towards an...