title: Variations on the concept of traumatism: traumatism, traumatic, trauma.
abstract: In this paper, the author outlines Freud's fundamental hypotheses concerning the concept of traumatism, then goes on to differentiate three notions (French being a particularly apposite language for such a venture): 'traumatism', 'traumatic' (in a substantive sense) and 'trauma'. These three terms correspond to the three turning points in Freud's theory with respect to the concept of traumatism (1895-97, 1920, 1938). The author evokes also the developments that are due to Ferenczi, particularly in his later writings (1928-33), where he defined and discussed the question of 'trauma' in contemporary clinical practice; the author goes on to explore the different variations on this theme as regards mental functioning. He then defines, from a metapsychological point of view, the differences between 'traumatisms' that have been 'worked over by secondary processes', organised and governed by the pleasure-unpleasure principle ('traumatism') and 'early' or 'primary traumatisms', which interfere with the process of binding the instinctual drives ('trauma'); states of mind influenced by a traumatic imprint ('traumatic') are looked upon as belonging to both categories of the above mentioned traumatisms. The author illustrates his hypotheses with a clinical example.
authors.affiliation: tbokanow@aol.com
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bokanowski
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004325:Dreams / Q000523:psychology; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D005619:Freudian Theory; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D009289:Narcissism; D009769:Object Attachment; D010553:Personality Development; D010990:Pleasure-Pain Principle; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy