The Concept of Dissociation in Early Psychoanalytic Writers

ABSTRACT

The concept of dissociation in early psychoanalytic writing is examined in order to show the intimate connection between old and new theories and how they have been transformed through time and different models. Contemporary work on trauma and dissociation may be seen as an illustration of, and developing from, early psychoanalytic formulations on the organization of the personality. These pioneering ideas constitute an encompassing theory of the personality from which treatment of trauma is easily deduced. Psychoanalysis in the United States, which remained loyal to Freudian models, is contrasted with the British Object Relations School. The term, “dissociation,” has a variety of connotations: (1) observable clinical phenomena, i.e., symptoms; (2) a general principle of psychic organization; (3) loosely, several defense mechanisms; (4) a synonym for splitting, mainly within British Object Relations; and (5) the clinical presentation and psychodynamic understanding of multiple personality or dissociative identity disorder. This plurality of concepts may conspire against scientific integration, perpetuating a confusion between the differing uses. Alternatively, it can enrich our theories, provided we do not loose sight of the models that make terms meaningful. The various senses of the word, and the relevant theoretical frameworks, are illustrated with a case example.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma
• dissociation
• psychoanalytic theory
• psychoanalysis
• splitting