The Absence of a Future: The Effect of Past Experience and Current Developmental Conflicts On a Midlife Analysis

Abstract

The four-year analysis of Mr. T., a highly intelligent, successful professional who entered analysis primarily because of a depression is presented; he had had no previous therapeutic experience but was very curious about analysis. The analytic work led to the discovery of a deeply held unconscious conviction of premature death that was related to interaction among the effects of a traumatic parental divorce during childhood, estrangement from both parents prior to their deaths, and signs of aging and illness in midlife. Before this analytic work the patient was unable to conceptualize, let alone plan for, late-life developmental experiences such as retirement and grandparenthood. Transference-countertransference themes are discussed, as is the importance of an understanding of midlife developmental concepts to successful analytic work with patients in this age group.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Cohler, R.J. , & Galatzer-Levy, R.M. (1990). Self, meaning and morale across the second half of life. In New Dimensions in Adult Development, ed. R.A. Nemiroff & C.A. Colarusso. New York : Basic Books, pp. 241—266.

Colarusso, C.A. , & Nemiroff, R.A. (1981). Adult Development. New York: Plenum.

Emde, R.N. (1985). From adolescence to midlife: Remodeling the structure of adult development. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 33:59—112.

Erikson, E. (1963). Childhood and Society. New York: Norton.

——— ED. (1978). Adulthood. New York: Norton.

Freud, A. (1976). Pathology seen against the background of normal development. British Journal of Psychiatry 129:201—209.

Freud, S. (1905). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. Standard Edition 7:130—243.

——— (1915). Thoughts for the times on war and death. Standard Edition 14:275—300.

——— (1937). Analysis terminable and interminable. Standard Edition 23: 216—253.

10.

Goin, M.K. (1990). Emotional survival and the aging body. In New Dimensions in Adult Development, ed. R.A. Nemiroff & C.A. Colarusso. New York: Basic Books, pp. 518—531.

11.

Gould, R.L. (1978). Transformations: Growth and Change in Adult Life . New York: Simon & Schuster .

12.

Jung, C.G. (1933). Modern Man in Search of a Soul. New York: Harcourt Brace.

13.

Levinson, D.J. , Darrow, C.N. , Klein, E.B. , Levinson, M.H. , & Mckee, B. (1978). The Seasons of a Man's Life. New York: Krupp.

14.

Neugarten, B.L. (1968). Adult personality: Toward a psychology of the life cycle. In Middle Age and Aging: A Reader in Social Psychology , ed. B.L. Neugarten. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 137—147.

15.

Pollock, G.C. (1978). Aging or aged: Development or pathology. In The Course of Life: Completing the Journey, ed. G.H. Pollock & S.I. Greenspan. Madison, CT: International Universities Press, pp. 41—86.

16.

Spitz, R. (1965). The First Year of Life. New York: International Universities Press.

17.

Vaillant, G. (1977). Adaptation to Life. Boston : Little, Brown.