Discussion Group 86: “Facing Death” Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy of Patients
Chair Norman Straker, M.D. (New York, NY)
Presenter A Trained Senior Analyst
A senior analyst who miraculously recovered from sepsis and aplastic anemia, one year ago will describe the several weeks he spent in a Reverse Isolation Unit. Fully aware that there was no cure for his illness, he faced death several times, while extremely sick. He describes the psychological steps he took to manage his terror that he experienced about dying. His self-analysis, the coping strategy he found most useful, will also be described. Discussion will include how a psychoanalyst approaches anxiety about death for himself and with his patients.The discussion group leader is a professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell, and has been a consultant at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for over 35 years.
After attending this session, participants should be able to: 1) Recognize the special treatment parameters required when treating cancer patients and family members during times of illness or death; 2) Recognize counter transference issues when the analyst faces illness and death.