A note on a relationship between personal and societal problems

Working in a private practice with a primarily American expatriate population in east-central Europe, some recurring common problems and themes emerged. One of them, active attempts at dealing with past victimization, is scrutinized more closely. Four cases are presented to support the hypothesis that coming to a formerly communist country was motivated significantly by an attempt at a "heroic resolution" of psychic wounds left by a history of victimization. Parallels are drawn between the effects of victimization on the four cases presented and on societies under a dictatorship. Psychological hazards associated with the heroic resolution are also presented. Finally, some suggestions are made for counteracting the aftereffects of severe victimization in affected populations.