When separation is violence: History of a son of Camorra¹

1 The Camorra is an Italian Mafia-type crime syndicate, or secret society, which arose in the region of Campania and its capital, Naples. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating back to the sixteenth century. Unlike the pyramidal structure of the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra's organizational structure is more horizontal than vertical. Consequently, individual Camorra clans act independently of each other, and are more prone to feuding among themselves.

Abstract

This article intends to propose a basis for a reflection on how separation mechanisms, both intrapsychic and social, may, by a normal identification process, be comparable in traumatic situations to true forms of violence. According to the theories of Benedetti and Peciccia (1996), a symbiotic Self and a separate Self are continuously present, integrated development lines of the Self, even though they are never fully conscious. Conversely, in the structure of the psychotic Self, a deintegration is inferred between the symbiotic and the separate states of the Self, of which the patient is painstakingly conscious. In light of significant psychoanalytic theories relating to the anxiety of separation, we aim to interpret this symbiosis and separation through the history of Michele, a psychotic young man from a Camorrist family, who was currently hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. The article intends to investigate the separation imposed by the clan, and the even deeper one, inferred from the significant separations experienced within the family circle. Furthermore, we will also outline our therapeutic method and the use of progressive mirror drawing, a psychotherapeutic technique which can be used with patients suffering from different pathologies that compromise verbalization, such as psychosis.

Key words:

• separation
• terror
• psychosis
• progressive mirror drawing

Notes

1 The Camorra is an Italian Mafia-type crime syndicate, or secret society, which arose in the region of Campania and its capital, Naples. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating back to the sixteenth century. Unlike the pyramidal structure of the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra's organizational structure is more horizontal than vertical. Consequently, individual Camorra clans act independently of each other, and are more prone to feuding among themselves.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fabiana Manco

Author

Fabiana Manco graduated in clinical and health psychology at Florence University, Italy. She is a psychotherapist with a Master’s in psychoanalytic existential psychotherapy at the Gaetano Benedetti Institute, based in Assisi. In addition, she is deputy director of the Lahuèn Community, a psychiatric rehabilitation centre for people with strong psychological discomfort.