Sommantico, Massimiliano

Destructivity and Death in a Psychoanalytic Family Therapy - 2010.


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The authors discuss a case of psychoanalytical therapy of a mono-parental family where it seems to reign the death-instinct. Several elements are to be underlined: the parental couple characterised by a violent dynamic that had kept going for several years, divorced by an advance of the woman ; the late-adolescent daughter, who had undergone psychotherapeutic treatment several times from infancy, attempted suicide after the death of her maternal grandparents, with whom she had a very strong relationship ; the younger daughter presents auto-aggressive conduct. In light of these data, the authors interrogate themselves on transmission, in particular, of a very strong masochism and of a very intense sense of guilt inside this family. Particular attention is paid to destructivity in this family, specifically to the suicidal gesture intended as revelatory of very intense family suffering.