what is an analysand?

     An analysand is someone who is undergoing psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a form of "talk" therapy. According to its own practitioners, it does not have an end. It begins at birth, I suppose--some analysands believe that they can relive the experience of being born. One famous analysand said that psychoanalysis was like being "born again". All psychoanalysts are also analysands--they have therapists whom they visit, or with whom they keep in contact, for life. Psychoanalysts start out as medical doctors--they attend medical school, and can prescribe medication, including narcotics, hypnotics, and anti-depressants.
     Psychoanalysis does not have an end because it does not have a goal--analysands spend a lot of time and money undergoing treatment, the purpose of which is usually described as "feeling better about themselves". Psychoanalysis seems like a waste of time and money to many people, and since it is sometimes paid for with public money, they have a point. When the public pays for therapy, we might expect at least a goal of improved behavior or social attitudes. Behaving better would make analysands feel better about themselves, without a doubt.