Chapter 10 Deprivation and Violence

The interest of this supervision centres on the difficulty of attunement between patient and analyst. The patient’s aggressive violence results from a history of deprivation dating back to her birth, as a child who had to relate to sick parents. Never having had any joy in her life, she is so angry and rebellious that she destroys her own good qualities. Guilt-ridden and assailed by feelings of persecution following the death of her mother, the patient must now face the drama of looking after her sick father, who has no consideration for her.

Deprivation gives rise to very primitive anxieties: an infant who cannot find milk at the breast wonders if his mother is really sick or just selfish.

Dr Brenman presents some interesting considerations on the effects of deprivation and on the patient’s style of penetrating violently into the analyst and leaving her breathless. This patient necessarily resorts to violent projective identification because she lacks the experience of having been understood. She also fears being indoctrinated by the opinions of others who intrude into her mind; she reacts violently, but must then surrender and submit.

In the sessions reported here, there has been a breakdown in understanding between patient and analyst. The crux of the matter is the patient’s demand to be able to enjoy life without feeling guilty; the risk for the analyst is to be perceived as a moralizing superego.

Dr Brenman emphasizes that pleasure is a very important part of life. Pleasure can have a meaning in its own right: it is important to distinguish between genuine joy, which helps one to live, and the flight into pleasure, which is obtained by eliminating anything unpleasurable.