Psycho-Analysis and the War NeurosesFreud, Sigmund
History
Psycho-Analysis and the War Neuroses
Freud, Sigmund
Psychoanalysis; War neuroses
The so-called “seeking for pension” of many men injured in the war is
as little explained by means of the current ideas on the matter as
the symptoms of the neurosis. This also stands in connection with the
alterations of the sexual hunger (libido), just as do the neurotic
symptoms. The patient only apparently fights for compensation for the
stiffened wrist, for the shot-off finger, for his neurotic trouble. It
is quite overlooked as a rule that the neurotic inwardly perceives the
alteration which has taken place as regards his sexual hunger (libido).
He is filled with the feeling of an enormous injury. And he is so
far right when he actually has suffered loss from his capability for
transference of his sexual hunger (libido) and therewith an important
basis of the belief in himself. A man injured by an accident before the
war once told me that he had come to an agreement with his insurance
company for a definite compensation. Hardly had this occurred when
the thought came to him that this sum did not even remotely cover
his actual injury. Henceforth the sum which according to his idea he
ought to have claimed rapidly rose to an enormous amount. The pension
compensates only for the diminution of the capacity for earning a
livelihood, so far as this is objectively demonstrable, not for that
which the patient subjectively feels; he cannot be compensated for his
reduced capacity for object-love. Narcissism also explains here the
conduct of the patients. Where previously the capability of surrender
(in every sense of the word) existed, now the narcissistic avarice
dominates. The genital zone has lost its predominance; anal erotism
is strengthened. It is clear that the state pension favours the
development of the character traits described; this only takes place,
however, when the tendency already exists in the injured person to
react narcissistically to an external injury to his integrity.
Now as regards the question of the therapy and particularly that of the
psycho-analytic.
At the commencement of the war one took little notice of the neurotics,
they were placed perchance in a convalescent home but practically
without treatment. The increasing number of neurotic cases necessitated
other measures. The old method of “surprisal” was again dug up. Then
came the period of “active” curative procedures, the best known of
which is Kaufmann’s. These methods were at first deceptive from the
fact that they led to the rapid improvement of a great number of
patients. As regards, however, the duration of the cure, they have
not yielded what was hoped of them, and, in addition, they produced
certain unwished-for phenomena. The military medical authorities
therefore display a lively interest in putting on one side the too
“active” methods in favour of other effective but less severe ones.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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