[The hyperventilation syndrome as psychosomatic components of heart transplantation: case study]

The case study presents a patient with severe disturbance of self-esteem, suicidal family-background, narcissistic trauma and psychosomatic illness in form of a hyperventilation syndrome in the light of his heart transplantation. Helplessness and hopelessness of his psychological situation, his fear of separation, his paralyzing inability to come to any decision are seen against the background of a situation of absolute stress in which he had to struggle against his anxieties and fears and presumptions about the donor organ. There also is discussed whether a patient with such severe disturbances should really be accepted as a donor organ recipient, as well as whether in this case a supportive or analytic therapy would have been the appropriate choice. Annotations of the author about personal difficulties in therapy and at last its failing are added.