The Body and Compulsion from Infancy to Young Adulthood: New Perspectives on Addiction, Self-Harm and Suicide

The Body and Compulsion from Infancy to Young Adulthood: New Perspectives on Addiction, Self-Harm and Suicide examines the complex interplay between early childhood experiences and the development of compulsive behaviours across the lifespan, with a focus on how these compulsions present from infancy to young adulthood. A diverse group of international psychoanalysts from a range of theoretical perspectives and clinical experiences examine the severe bodily symptoms and syndromes often seen in young patients. They provide profound insight into the metapsychological foundations of repetition and destructiveness. Through compelling clinical vignettes and theoretical explorations, the contributors demonstrate how early trauma and neglect can disrupt the psyche, leading to damaging behavioural and emotional pathologies. Conditions such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, violent behaviour, suicidality, and addiction are explored in detail, with the contributors highlighting the challenges they pose in the therapeutic setting and offering guidance on how to navigate sessions with those suffering from them. This essential volume provides invaluable insights for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and mental health professionals working with patients struggling with compulsive patterns, while also offering theoretical depth for scholars interested in early development, trauma, and the foundations of psychic structure.