TY - JOUR
AU - Kersting, Anette
AB - Letter to the Editor Published online: February 24, 2004 Psychopathology 2004;37:50–51 DOI: 10.1159/000077020 The Psychodynamics of Grief Hallucinations – A Psychopathological Phenomenon of Normal and Pathological Grief Anette Kersting Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany Grief hallucinations are a phenomenon their loss, at other times they will avoid conflicts inhibiting the process may be indi- frequently observed in the course of grieving memories or seek relief by concentrating on cated in such cases. processes [1]. An understanding of the psy- other things. The objective of this oscillating Ms A. had given birth to a stillborn child chodynamics of grief hallucinations is of spe- process is the gradual coping with and accep- 6 months previously. After the birth, she cial significance for clinical work with griev- tance of the loss, enabling the bereaved per- held her dead child in her arms in order to ing patients. In most cases, grief hallucina- sons to turn once again, after a reasonable say goodbye. The baby looked, she said, as tions are regarded as a ‘benign form of cop- time, to their ongoing life tasks. though it was sleeping. In the days after the ing with bereavement’, a ‘type of defence 
TI - The Psychodynamics of Grief Hallucinations – A Psychopathological Phenomenon of Normal and Pathological Grief
JF - Psychopathology
DO - 10.1159/000077020
DA - 2004-02-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/karger/the-psychodynamics-of-grief-hallucinations-a-psychopathological-C0Nj0JO6HX
SP - 50
EP - 51
VL - 37
IS - 1
DP - DeepDyve
ER -