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Social Trauma, Nostalgia and Mourning in the Immigration Experience
1Center for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy of New Jersey (CPPNJ), No. 88 West Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ, 07450, USA. rlijt123@gmail.com.
American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|June 21, 2022
Summary
Immigration and exile are social traumas that disrupt life continuity. Mourning and nostalgia are key psychic experiences aiding adjustment, but can be hindered by forced displacement, leading to depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Migration Studies
Background:
- Immigration and exile represent significant social traumas.
- These experiences deprive individuals of secure environments, disrupting life continuity.
- Mourning is essential for psychological adjustment and 'going on being'.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the psychological impact of immigration and exile.
- To analyze the role of mourning and nostalgia in migration.
- To understand coping mechanisms for individuals experiencing displacement.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of psychic experiences in migration.
- Examination of the psychoanalytic concepts of mourning and nostalgia.
- Exploration of defense mechanisms against trauma in displaced populations.
Main Results:
- Nostalgia serves as a defense mechanism against frustration and inadequacy.
- Complex emotions, including joy and sadness, characterize nostalgia.
- Forced migration or exile can impede mourning, leading to depression, self-pity, resentment, envy, and guilt.
Conclusions:
- Individuals facing immigration or exile undergo significant psychic challenges.
- Coping strategies involve utilizing nostalgia and linking objects/phenomena to maintain past connections while adapting.
- Successful adaptation requires navigating the mourning process, which can be complicated by the nature of displacement.
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