WAR AS A SPACE FOR LIFE. PSYCHOANALYTIC REFLECTIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/upj/2025-3-1-4Keywords:
psychoanalysis, Ukraine, adaptation to war conditions, surprising patients, war as a space for projections, relationships with the maternal object.Abstract
Abstract. The conventional view is that war is a realm of suffering and a reason to put normal life on hold. From the first moments of the invasion, we have experienced the destructive effects of war on mental health and observed these effects in our loved ones, colleagues, and, of course, patients. However, the reality of war is broader and more diverse than merely a zone of disaster. For example, some patients, during this challenging period, reveal previously unnoticed qualities. For them, war becomes a time of growth and change. This is perplexing, as these patients may turn out to be more adaptive and alive than their diagnoses once seemingly definitive had suggested. This article focuses on working with patients who surprised the analyst and compelled a fresh understanding of them, as the war environment proved to be a space for life.
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