Incidere il dolore

Journal title PSICOTERAPIA PSICOANALITICA
Author/s Andrea Guidantoni
Publishing Year 2025 Issue 2025/2
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 169-180 File size 124 KB
DOI 10.3280/PSP2025-002011
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Drawing on a literary reference that illustrates one of the mental states associated with pain, the author aims to delineate the concept by narrowing its scope, often conflated with or improperly associated with other psychological constructs. By examining various conceptualizations of pain proposed by psychoanalysts, beginning with Freud, the analysis progressively refines its definition, ultimately framing pain as a foundational element of human existence. The subsequent introduction of the concept of suffering, closely related to pain, prompts an investigation into the points of contact between the two. Melanie Klein’s theory of the epistemophilic drive provides a useful framework for identifying this intersection. It is within this transitional space that the emergence of the process of knowledge may be observed. Clinically, this conceptualization implies that, in certain cases, pain could be metaphorically “incised” in order to initiate its transformation into suffering. This therapeutic process opens the way for deeper self-awareness within the patient. A clinical vignette is presented to exemplify and contextualize the theoretical propositions discussed.

Keywords: pain, nostalgia, suffering, epistemophilic drive.

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Andrea Guidantoni, Incidere il dolore in "PSICOTERAPIA PSICOANALITICA" 2/2025, pp 169-180, DOI: 10.3280/PSP2025-002011