Citation

Gloger ER. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 2011; 25(2): 157-175.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in the National Health Service)

DOI

10.1080/02668734.2011.576495

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this paper I will attempt to describe the treatment of a seriously ill patient in a National Health Service (NHS) clinic who suffered from recurrent depressive disorder with co-morbidity, repeated breakdowns and was at risk of suicide. The purpose of writing a clinical case study is to illustrate the vital importance of a psychoanalytically-informed approach in the treatment of a very ill patient in the public sector. At a time when there is a decrease in the provision of long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy my aim is to illustrate its value in the understanding and treatment of complex disorders, a perspective that seems to be under constant threat from internal and external pressures and at risk of being sidelined as a non-evidence-based form of treatment. I will try to describe the different stages in the treatment; from referral through to the beginning of treatment, its interruption, the patient's breakdown and admission, and finally his return to treatment upon discharge. The ending will be discussed with a view to highlighting some of the patient's internal movements enabled by the work undertaken. © 2011 The Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in the NHS.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; male; case report; depression; suicide attempt; comorbidity; article; psychoanalysis; hospital admission; priority journal; patient referral; recurrent disease; national health service; hospital discharge; counter transference; Psychoanalytic psychotherapy; Breakdown; NHS services; Severely disturbed patients