Anna Todesco in a day dress

Cäcilie M. (Anna von Lieben, born Anna von Tedesco; c. 1847–1900) is the pseudonym of one of Freud's first patients, whom he called in 1890 his “principal client” and in 1897 his “instructress”.[1]

Life

Born into a rich Austrian Jewish family, Anna von Lieben was referred to Freud in the late eighties for help with a long-standing series of nervous disorders. After referring her for a consultation with Charcot, Freud treated her (with some short-term success) through hypnotism, taking her with him to see Hippolyte Bernheim in 1889 in the (unsuccessful) hope that he might be able to work a permanent cure.[2] He also used abreaction for temporary relief of her symptoms,[3] noting however that her sense of guilt and self-reproaches would swiftly return after the treatment sessions.[4]

Her symptoms, including hallucinations and physical spasms, provided the basis for many of Freud's claims about conversion hysteria; and how to interpret back from physical symptom or hallucination to the underlying (symbolic) emotional meaning it expressed,[5] often by a 'punning' logic.[6]

Criticism

Freud's later critics have argued that his continuing treatment of Anna, given awareness of her incurability, amounted to using her as a kind of cash-cow.[7]

Freud continued during the six years of psychoanalysis to treat her continuously with injections of morphine without any success or therapeutic result.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ P. Gay, Freud (1989) p. 69
  2. ↑ E. Jones, The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud (1964) p. 211
  3. ↑ H. Westerink, A Dark Trace (2009) p. 12
  4. ↑ M. Macmillan, Freud Evaluated (1997) p. 106
  5. ↑ J. Schwartz, Cassandra's Daughter (2003) p. 51-2
  6. ↑ M. Nixon, Fantastic Reality (2005) p. 138-9
  7. ↑ F. B. Michael, Ingenious Nonsense (2012) p. 80
  8. ↑ Les patients de Freud. Destins. by Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen, Éditions Sciences Humaines, 2011

Further reading

  • Peter J. Swales, 'Freud, his Teacher, and the Birth of Psychoanalysis', in Paul E. Stepansky ed., Freud, Appraisals and Reappraisals, (1986) 3-82
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