Holocaust Trauma and Psychic Deformation: Psychoanalytic Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor

Description

Written by a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, this moving and important book examines the massive psychic trauma suffered by a generation of Holocaust survivors. It not only provides both an intimate and personal reflection on these harrowing events, but also offers an in-depth, clinical perspective on an often-misunderstood phenomenon. As a child during this period, the book begins by examining the author’s own experience as a refugee in the aftermath of the Holocaust, the psycho- logical impact of displacement after such traumatic events, and his attempt to flee its damage through medical and psychoanalytic training. But the second half of the book broadens the perspective to offer a clinical exploration of the psychic effects of surviving the Holocaust. A range of concepts are addressed and explored, from powerlessness and survivor guilt, to psychic security and recovered memories. The book concludes by examining how psychic trauma is processed, and the clinical implications for when disorders emerge and dysfunction results. An insightful and honest account of massive psychic trauma, this remarkable book will resonate not only with those affected by or interested in the experiences of Holocaust survivors, but also any clinical practitioner working with clients who have experienced this type of intense trauma. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Legacies 3. The war after 4. Escape 5. Adaptation and maladaptation 6. Child survivors of the Holocaust: groups and groupings, healing wounds 7. The Holocaust and the power of powerlessness: survivor guilt an unhealed wound 8. Psychic security: its origins, development, and disruption 9. Life, death, and the power of powerlessness 10. Inaccessible memories: recovered traumatic memories, true and false 11. Psychic survival management: the psychic guardian and compartmentalisation 12. Functional disorders of the psychic guardian and pathology: clinical implications Index