Conference paper
TRAUMA, SHAME AND PSYCHOTIC DEPRESSION EXPERIENCED BY ex-POWs AFTER RELEASE
Ivan Urlić
; Psychiatric Clinic, Clinical Hospital "Split", Split, Croatia
Slađana Štrkalj-Ivezić
; Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Nada John
; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Dubrovnik, Croatia
Abstract
Modern societies are growing ever more sensitive to the various sources and many kinds of psychic traumas, resulting even in psychotic reactions or states of functioning. Especially the war captivity situation represents the prolongued basis for chronic severe psychic stress and traumatisation, that may become deleterious
even for the core self of the person.
Severely psychotraumatized war veterans, or ex-POWs in the aftremath of the war captivity situation, survivors of extreme forms of violence and humiliation, are very reluctant to recall traumas. This avoidant behaviour is many times one of the most prominent symptoms that should be recognised and confronted in order to start
the retraumatising process of healing the previously unthinkable traumas. The authors believe that shameful feelings are at the very basis of the psychotraumatised persons' withdrawal, depression, suicidal attempts, and even psychotic answers. The main feature of the first phase of any therapeutic work with these patients is the
mourning process that should be gradually unfolded. The clinical examples will illustrate therapeutic work with these patients.
The authors will expose some basic psychodynamic approaches and concepts regarding shame. This difficult feeling will be put in relationship with the psychotic answers. In that frame of reference the concept of 'near psychosis' will be described.
Keywords
war; concentration camp; depression; shame; psychotic functioning
Hrčak ID:
49513
URI
Publication date:
10.3.2009.
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