Is It Too Late?: Key Papers on Psychoanalysis and Aging

This book brings together a selection of classic psychoanalytical papers related to ageing, dying and death that have appeared in the renowned International Journal of Psychoanalysis (IJP). Two papers address the analysis of an elderly patient directly and bring the work and the challenges it brings vividly to life. Also explored are such issues as death and the midlife crisis, loneliness and the ageing process, ageing and psychopathology, fear of death, transference and countertransference issues, and the final stage of the dying process. 'The idea behind this monograph is to alert interested psychoanalysts, students and those working from an interdisciplinary standpoint to the possibility of a better understanding of the ageing process as well as a group of potential analysis that seem to exist in the shadow of our professional communications. 'Each stage of life has its own somatic and psychic normality as well as pathology.

'The idea behind this monograph is to alert interested psychoanalysts, students and those working from an interdisciplinary standpoint to the possibility of a better understanding of the ageing process as well as a group of potential analysis that seem to exist in the shadow of our professional communications.Each stage of life has its own somatic and psychic normality as well as pathology. Along the course of one's life span, we meet manifold psychic, social and biological challenges. In such times of transition from one phase of development to the next a great variety of adaptive strategies must be developed to deal successfully with new inner and outer conditions...Growing old is a relatively new phenomenon in the history of mankind... In about twenty years, half the population of European countries will be over fifty. Ageing will embrace a period of life that is at least as long as the period of childhood, youth and professional qualification together.Living at the same time as one's children, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents harbours manifold conflicts within the family. A prolonged life span has come into existence in which new emphasis is placed on the quality of somatic and psychic integrity. It is the task of psychoanalysis on the one hand to contribute to a better understanding of psychic wellbeing in this phase of life while stimulating more knowledge and truth about the life lived up to now, thus maintaining psychic equilibrium for as long as possible.'From the Editor's PrefaceContributors include Hanna Segal, Nina Coltart, Pearl King, Harold W. Wylie Jr, Mavis L. Wylie, Tor Bjorn Hagglund and Erik Hamburger Erikson

Gabriele Junkers

This book brings together a selection of classic psychoanalytical papers related to aging, dying, and death that have appeared in the renowned International Journal of Psychoanalysis. People are living longer than ever before, leading full and active lives long past retirement, and yet many analysts are averse to working with patients over the age of fifty. Sigmund Freud never wavered from his conviction that the elderly would not benefit from analysis and, despite the huge expansion in analytic technique and practice since the 1940s, the treatment of elderly patients is still not widely practiced. This is reflected in a paucity of papers on the subject--a mere twenty papers on the analysis of elderly patients have appeared in the journal's long history.The chosen papers come from eminent analysts, most of whom have embarked on clinical work with elderly patients. Two papers--one by Hanna Segal, who has also written the Foreword, and the other by Nina E. C. Coltart--address the analysis of an elderly patient directly and bring the work and the challenges it brings vividly to life. Also explored are such issues as death and the midlife crisis, loneliness and the aging process, aging and psychopathology, fear of death, transference and countertransference issues, and the final stage of the dying process. The book ends with Erik Erikson's paper on the generational cycle. This paper is a fitting conclusion from the pioneer whose work contributed to a clearer understanding of the impact of the experiences of the life cycle, from childhood to old age.It is to be hoped that this fascinating collection will stimulate further research and encourage more analysts to work with this neglected andgrowing section of the population.The Contributors: Norman A Cohen, Nina E. C. Coltart, Erik Homburger Erikson, Tor-Bj'rn H'gglund, Elliott Jaques, Gabriele Junkers, Pearl H.M. King, Wolfgang Loch, George H. Pollock, Hanna Segal, Harold W. Wylie, and Mavis L. Wylie

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.