Psychological evaluation of the dermatology patient: a psychoanalyst's perspective

Psychoanalysis contributed to the body representation in medicine with a biographic focus in which language, dreams, sexuality, unconscious wishes, and the relationship with the doctor play a fundamental role. In spite of being invisible to the gaze, this anatomy has its fundamental piece on the skin. A piece that has the status—given by Freud—of “erotogenic zone par excellence.” In this paper, different levels of psychological/psychiatric functioning and some character types elucidated by psychoanalytic work with dermatology patients are described. Some therapeutic strategies are suggested as a way of orientation to the dermatologist's management of difficult patients.