Abstract

MIODOWNIK, Bernard. Suicide: a difficulty in psychoanalysis. Rev. bras. psicanál [online]. 2019, vol.53, n.4, pp. 67-81. ISSN 0486-641X.

Both the ideation and suicidal act show psychic characteristics such as primitive anguish, symbiotic fantasies and destructiveness, elements whose theoretical understandings and clinical management are among the main interests of psychoanalysts. Therefore, it is noteworthy that suicide is a topic little addressed in psychoanalytic debates. From three stories of suicide told as exemplary, some reflections are developed that seek to understand the origin of the difficulty among psychoanalysts on this issue. From Primo Levi's impacting suicide, two clinical situations are presented that lead to the discussion of countertransference fears involving psychoanalysts. Viktor Tausk's suicide addresses a possible rejection by pioneer psychoanalysts to deal with the serious psychic problems of one of its members. Freud's death is discussed about the apex of a controversy as to whether or not there has been an assisted suicide and its emotional and ethical repercussions to date.

Keywords : suicide; primitive anguish; destructiveness; countertransference; history of psychoanalysis.

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