Presenter: |
Joseph M. Jones, MD |
Chair: |
Diane L. Martinez, MD |
Discussant: |
Joan A. Lang, MD |
Self Psychology Page | 20th Conference Program
Anxiety/panic, feelings of prereflective shame, and unconscious envy are all manifestations of traumatized states of mind. Anxiety/panic is a specific signal that warns us that our mind is approaching a traumatized state and thus is in danger of not working effectively. This paper focuses upon the recognition of the more subtle traumatized states, where the effects of trauma are either sequestered or embedded within a characterologic matrix such as the impulsive personality. These buried traumatic states give rise to four recognizable transference configurations. The failure to recognize these more subtle traumatized states of mind often leads to either a therapeutic impasse or a negative therapeutic reaction. In summary, the first half of the paper covers the phenomenology of traumatic states while the second half addresses ways to recognize and treat these states.