Psychic deadness

Many people seek help because they feel dragged down by a sense of inner deadness that persists in an otherwise full and meaningful life. These individuals who seem filled with emotions somehow remain untouched by even their own inner experiences. This is a deadness that persists in the midst of plenty, a deadness that can cripple their entire life or part of it.

This book portrays attempts to fathom psychic deadness, but more important, it shows what is involved in enduring and working with deadness on a day-to-day, session-by-session basis. Often, the therapy relationship becomes a laboratory in which varying states of deadness-aliveness can be tied to what is going on between patient and therapist, as well as in the patient's life. In many cases, according to Eigen, the emotional tone of the therapy can be the most important element. Patient and therapist work to discover what the patient is looking for, that is, the precise combination of psychic nutrients, responses, attitudes, and tones required for a given individual, or even a given moment, so that a person can begin to open, and the deadness can lift.

"First published in 1996 by Jason Aronson Inc., NJ, USA"--Title page verso.

Pt. 1. Theoretical Soundings. 1. Psychic Death. 2. The Destructive Force. 3. Goodness and Deadness. 4. Bion's No-thing. 5. Moral Violence. 6. Two Kinds of No-thing. 7. The Area of Freedom: The Point of No Compromise -- Pt. 2. Clinical Probes. 8. The Immoral Conscience. 9. The Counterpart. 10. Counterparts in a Couple. 11. From Attraction to Meditation. 12. Primary Process and Shock. 13. Being Too Good. 14. In Praise of Gender Uncertainty. 15. Emotional Starvation. 16. Disaster Anxiety. 17. Winning Lies. 18. Boa and Flowers.