Exploring writing and publishing as sinthomatic practices in the process of recovery after episodes of psychosis.

This study examined the lived experiences of how, for seven individuals, language and writing serve as multifaceted and pivotal tools in shaping subjectivity and providing a means of navigating through the challenges of psychosis. Grounded in Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, the research delves into the understanding of psychosis, emphasizing the linguistic constitution of the human psyche and the foreclosure of the Name-of-the-Father. Through a comprehensive and cocreative analysis of the literature and qualitative interviews, this article illustrates how writing and publishing can act as both therapeutic and creative outlets—means of expressing and managing the overwhelming “jouissance” associated with psychotic experiences, while enabling (re)connection to the social world. The findings reveal that, for some individuals, writing and publishing offer a unique pathway by functioning as a stabilizing “sinthomatic” solution. This study contributed to the broader understanding of psychosis and offered valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of writing, thus informing future psychoanalytic and clinical practices.