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Related Experiment Videos

Working with anorexic patient.

D Birksted-Breen

    The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
    |January 1, 1989
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Anorexia nervosa is explored through a mother-daughter fusion dynamic, revealing a defense against intense emotions and a struggle for mental development. This condition represents an attempt to reject fundamental aspects of human existence, including mortality.

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    Area of Science:

    • Psychiatry
    • Psychoanalysis
    • Developmental Psychology

    Background:

    • Anorexia nervosa is examined through the lens of maternal fusion dynamics.
    • The study explores the patient's wish for and fear of merging with her mother.

    Observation:

    • The analysis details feelings defended against by this fusion state.
    • Key consequences include the absence of a 'transitional space' crucial for mental development.

    Findings:

    • The patient's early childhood experiences and the first four years of psychoanalytic treatment are described.
    • Anorexia nervosa is posited as a defense mechanism against the inherent aspects of human existence.

    Implications:

    • Understanding the mother-infant dyadic relationship is crucial for treating anorexia nervosa.
  • The findings suggest anorexia nervosa is a profound attempt to negate the human life cycle and mortality.