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Autistic devices in small children in mourning
The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
|January 11, 2000
Summary
Two young patients developed traumatic mourning and autistic defenses after sibling birth. Analyst support helped them process trauma and resume normal development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Investigates traumatic mourning in young children following significant life events.
- Examines the development of autistic defenses as a coping mechanism.
Observation:
- Two female patients exhibited severe reactions to sibling birth, indicative of traumatic mourning.
- Autistic devices were employed to manage internal mental states, distorting self-perception and language.
Findings:
- Patients displayed significant disruptions in language, with one losing verbal ability and the other using it non-communicatively.
- Developmental arrests and perceptual distortions reinforced denial, hindering processing of traumatic events.
Implications:
- Therapeutic intervention, including analyst's sustained support and interpretation, facilitated the development of new coping mechanisms.
- This process enabled patients to reduce psychological defenses, process conflict, and resume more typical developmental trajectories.