Abstract
This paper considers the disruptive effects of defensively forgetting childhood sexual abuse on the sense of self. Defense analysis, leading to access to and control of affects and associated recall of forgotten events is a crucial aspect of understanding and treating the resulting self disorders. The defenses of dissociation, denial and repression will be considered with regard to some of the basic effects on the sense of self which come from employing them. A case discussion illustrates the strengthening of the sense of self of a patient with a profoundly traumatic past when these defenses are systematically disrupted through psychotherapy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Clark, K. (1991) The psychotherapy of the higher level borderline adult. In J. F. Masterson, P. Sifneos and M. Tolpin, (Eds.)Comparing psychoanalytic psychotherapies. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Courtois, C. (1988).Healing the incest wound. New York: W. W. Norton and Co.
Fairbairn, W. R. N. (1952). The repression and the return of bad objects (with special reference to the war neuroses). In P. Buckley, Ed. (1986).Essential papers on object relations. New York: New York University Press.
Franklin, J. (1990). Dreamlike though and dream mode processes in the formation of personalities in MPD,Dissociation, V. 111 #2. pp. 70–80.
Freud, S. (1896). The aetiology of hysteria, in Gay, P., (1989)The Freud reader, New York: W.W. Norton. pp. 96–111.
Kernberg, O. (1975).Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism. New York: Jason Aronson.
Kluft, R. ed. (1990a).Incest related syndromes of adult psychopathology. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Kluft, R. (1990b). Dissociation and subsequent vulnerability: A preliminary study.Dissociation, 3(3):167–173.
Krystal, H. (1988).Integration and self-healing: Affect, trauma, alexithymia. New York: Analytic Press.
McCann, I. and Pearlman, L. (1990).Psychological trauma and the adult survivor: theory, therapy and transformation, New York: Brunner/mazel.
Mahler, M., Pine, F. and Bergman, A. (1975).The psychological birth of the human infant. New York: Basic Books, Inc.
Masterson, J.F. (1976).Psychotherapy of the borderline adult: A developmental approach. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Masterson, J.F. (1985).The. real self: A developmental, self and object relations approach. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Masterson, J.F. (1988).The search for the real self. New York: The Free Press.
Orcutt, C. (1989). Psychotherapy with a borderline adolescent: From clinical crisis to emancipation. In Masterson and Klein (eds.).The psychotherapy of the disorders of the self. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Putnam, F. (1990). Disturbances of “self” in victims of childhood sexual abuse, in Kluft, R. ed. (1990).Incest related syndromes of adult psychopathology, Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Schetky, D. (1990). A review of the literature on the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse, in Kluft, R. (1990)IBID.
Singer, J. ed. (1990).Repression and dissociation: implications for personality theory, psychopathology, and health. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.
Stern, D. (1985).The interpersonal world of the human infant. New York: Basic Books, Inc.
Stone, Michael H. (1990) Incest in the borderline patient. In Kluft, R.OP CIT.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clark, K.R. Season of light/season of darkness: The effects of burying and remembering traumatic sexual abuse on the sense of self. Clin Soc Work J 21, 25–43 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754910
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754910