Abstract

FINNEGAN, Paul; CLARKE, Graham  and  GRUPO D'ARTAGNAN. Fairbairn and multiple personalities. Rev. bras. psicanál [online]. 2013, vol.47, n.2, pp. 179-194. ISSN 0486-641X.

Fairbairn described his mature theory as one "obviously adapted to explain such extreme manifestations as are found in cases of multiple personality" (1952/2002, p. 159). Our purpose here is to demonstrate the usefulness of Fairbairn's theory to the psychoanalytic understanding and treatment of this disorder. We begin with a brief introductory summary of Fairbairn's mature theory and highlight some aspects of his early thinking on multiple personality that informed the subsequent development of this theory. We then present an extended version of Fairbairn's model. In our subsequent discussion of clinical material from five cases of multiple personality, we illustrate the ways in which this model allows us: 1) to identify different alter personalities with specific ego-structures or internal objects; 2) to illustrate commonly found clusters of alters; 3) to anticipate aspects of the relationships which are typically found to exist between alter personalities; and 4) to anticipate related transference dynamics. We then discuss our Fairbairnian perspective in relation to the important contributions of both Davis and Frawley (1992a, 1992b) and of Grotstein (1991, 1992, 1994a, 1994b). We posit that a traumatic dissociation of endopsychic structures may occur and that such dissociated endopsychic structures may be repressed for long periods of time prior to the repression being lifted. These endopsychic structures, and their related personalities, conscious once more, then function in a manner indicated by the concept of a vertical splitting.

Keywords : Fairbairn; multiple personality; splitting; endopsychic structure.

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