In 1998, Adam Gopnik wrote in The New Yorker about his six years in therapy with one of New York’s last Freudian psychoanalysts. “Man Goes to See a Doctor” recounts Gopnik’s affecting experience with an analyst he describes as alternately touchy and high-handed. “I could never decide whether to sue for malpractice or fall to my knees in gratitude for such an original healer,” he recalls. This past year has, not surprisingly, seen an uptick in the need for the many beneficial services of psychoanalysts and therapists. Last spring, Gopnik published “The New Theatrics of Remote Therapy,” which explores how the rituals of treatment have changed during our pandemic year. Many therapists, he writes, have found that remote sessions alter “the texture of intimacy.” The experience itself is heightened: unlike during a traditional couch session, there is no chance to look away, and no place to hide—for either therapist or patient—when participating in analysis via Zoom.
This week, we’re bringing you a selection of pieces on the mysteries and intricacies of psychoanalysis. In “The Impossible Profession,” published in 1980, Janet Malcolm profiles an engaging psychoanalyst practicing in Manhattan and examines the history of the profession. In “God Knows Where I Am,” Rachel Aviv writes about what happens when patients with mental illness reject their diagnoses and treatments. In “Anatomy of Melancholy,” Andrew Solomon offers a moving account of his lifelong struggle with depression. Finally, in “Brain Gain,” Margaret Talbot explores the curious world of neuroenhancing drugs. We hope that you find these pieces as illuminating as we do; for the optimal experience, we recommend reading them on the couch.
—David Remnick
From The New Yorker’s Archive
Coronavirus Chronicles
The New Theatrics of Remote Therapy
How does treatment change when your patients are on a screen?
By Adam Gopnik | June 1, 2020
Profiles
The Impossible Profession
A psychoanalyst reflects on what Freudian therapy can—and cannot—achieve.
By Janet Malcolm | November 24, 1980
A Reporter at Large
Brain Gain
The underground world of “neuroenhancing” drugs.
By Margaret Talbot | April 27, 2009
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Personal History
Anatomy of Melancholy
Depression affects millions of Americans each year, and many don’t know where to turn when it strikes. The author recalls the greatest struggle of his life.
By Andrew Solomon | January 12, 1998
Annals of Mental Health
God Knows Where I Am
What should happen when patients reject their diagnosis?
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