The psychodynamic perspective of Stavros Mentzos is a clear alternative to the common
classification according to ICD-10. Emotional conflicts and their specific processing modes
play a central role in psychiatric disorders such as phobias compulsions depression
addictions personality disorders or psychoses. The basic assumption is that psychological
symptoms do not reflect deficits but rather form their own dynamic entity with their own
respective functions. For example self-injuring behavior such as cutting provides the patients
with an emotional relief. Mentzos gives many other examples from practice to create a
psychodynamic understanding of the afflictions.
