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Peter L. Giovacchini, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1970;22(3):245-251.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

CLINICIANS are constantly faced with the seemingly increasing number of patients who do not fit current diagnostic categories. These patients, instead of presenting definitive symptoms, confront the psychiatrist with vague ill-defined complaints. The latter usually consist of distressing general questions such as who and what they are, and what the purpose of their life is, ie, where they fit into the general scheme of things. Some authors have referred to such reactions as existential crises, and Erikson¹ has described an acute variety of this type of disturbance as the "identity diffusion syndrome" which occurs in some adolescents.

I will not attempt any further diagnostic categorization. This would be a difficult task that has been discussed by many authors. Suffice to mention here that Knight² very early called attention to this group and coined the term "Borderline Syndrome." Since then there has been much discussion . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Chicago

From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois College of Medicine, and the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, Chicago.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Aug 19, 1969.

Read before the Michigan Psychiatric Society, March 20, 1969, Detroit.

Reprint requests to 270 Locust Rd, Winnetka, Ill 60093.

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