Introduction

We will focus our panel discussion on the use of medication with patients in psychoanalysis. Many of us, and especially our younger members, have been using medication with patients in psychotherapy for quite a while now. But I believe it is safe to say that, with a few exceptions, notably Mortimer Ostow from our own society, it has primarily been within the last ten years that analysts have begun to use medication along with psychoanalysis.

Contrary to what one may have expected, there are still very few analysts who have much experience in this area. I myself, although I have become quite knowledgeable and interested in the use of medication, have had only three cases, and in one the medication was used over a relatively short period of time. We are fortunate, therefore, to have as our presenters tonight two of our members, Drs. Robert Scharf and Sandra Cohen, who have both had three cases in analysis along with medication.

Although time may not permit them to cover all of the important issues adequately here, I have asked them to present their work in as much detail as possible so that we may focus on three major questions.

1. What are the indications for the use of medication for a patient in analysis, whether that use is recommended at the onset of treatment or during the course of the treatment?

2. What is the effect of the use of medication on the psychoanalytic process and especially its effect on the transference?

3. Should medication be prescribed and monitored by the analyst or should this be done by an appropriate consultant?

Each of our presenters will limit their discussions to about twenty to twenty-five minutes. We will then hear three prepared discussions