The Re-Libidinalization of the Internal World of a Refugee Family

Abstract

This article describes the effects that forced migration has on refugees’ identities and explores their difficulty in mourning. To illustrate the aftermath of forced migration, I will describe the internal world of a refugee family driven from their homes after massive ethnic violence. It took nine years from the time of their dislocation for them to be able to ‘re-libidinalize’ their self-representations. The re-libidinalization process allowed them to resolve their sense of helplessness and humiliation. After working through these feelings, they could tame the derivatives of their aggression, bring the mourning process to a practical end, and improve their abilities to test reality and adapt to their new environment. I will focus on their utilization of linking objects as one expression of their difficulty in mourning.