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‘I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY CHILD’: MOTHERHOOD AS A ‘SOLUTION’ TO EARLY TRAUMA
Author(s) -
Schumacher Beate
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
british journal of psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1752-0118
pISSN - 0265-9883
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0118.2008.00088.x
Subject(s) - plea , neglect , psychology , personality , personality disorders , unconscious mind , pathological , child abuse , sadistic personality disorder , psychiatry , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychoanalysis , injury prevention , poison control , medical emergency , medicine , pathology , political science , law
The author argues that for a certain group of patients having a baby is used to provide a solution to early trauma commonly associated with personality disorders. Indeed, it is suggested that ‘pathological motherhood’ be seen as a symptom of personality disorder. Clinical examples of such unconscious ‘solutions’ are given, which also serve to illustrate how easily the children born to patients like this become the victims of abuse and/or neglect. In line with the government's own guidance on personality disorders no longer being a diagnosis of exclusion, a plea is made for appropriate services to be made available to these patients with their children.