[From involuntary restraint to the subject "containing himself"]. / De la contention involontaire au sujet "se contenant".

ABSTRACT

An alternative approach to restraint in psychiatry? The literature on the use of restraint in psychiatry reveals that it is mainly used against patients' will. An alternative way of restraining a patient in anticipation of a crisis situation is proposed through the calming effect of holding (psychoanalytical concept) and sensory integration (neurosciences). Offering patients a method of "voluntary restraint" could partly restore their autonomy.