Hurting Memories and Beneficial Forgetting: Posttraumatic Stress Disorders, Biographical Developments, and Social Conflicts (Elsevier Insights) - Hardcover

Linden, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0123983932 ISBN 13: 9780123983930

Publisher: Elsevier, 2013

Synopsis

Memories are indispensable for individuals as well as social groups. Forgetting not only means loss of functioning but also loss of identity. Memories can also be hurting and cause problems, as research on posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) has shown. This is true for individuals as well as social groups and even societies. Memories and especially negative memories can escape the control of the individual. Many political conflicts can only be understood when taking history and memories into account.

In this volume a comprehensive scientific overview is given on the development of "hurting memories" in individuals and societies. Consequences are described, i.e. from mental disorders in individuals, like PTSD or other neurotic disorders, to societal tensions and conflicts, from South Africa to Northern Europe. Additionally, "beneficial forgetting" is discussed, from treatments of individuals to reconciliation between social groups. The contrasting of "hurting memories and beneficial forgetting" can help to understand, that memories can have positive and negative results and that it is difficult to decide when to support memories and when forgetting.

• Bringing individual and societal memories in coincetion - the benefit is a new perspective on the interactrion between individuals and society
• Pointing to possible negative consequences of memory - the benefit is a new perspective of an important but under recognized scientific and clinical problem
• Presenting modes of treatment and reconciliation for individuals and social groups - an overview which can't be found elsewhere

About this title

Review:

In this volume a comprehensive scientific overview is given on the development of "hurting memories" in individuals and societies

About the Author:

Krzysztof Rutkowski M.D., Ph.D is a senior psychiatrist and professor at Jagiellonian University. Head of the Department of Psychotherapy, Jagiellonian University Medical College (Kraków, Poland), Dr. Rutkowski is also a psychotherapist, supervisor in psychotherapy, and Jungian analyst (Individual Member of IAAP). He has worked with victims of political persecution and patients with chronic PTSD for about 20 years. He has published papers on the long term effects of trauma - psychological as well as somatic - and psychotherapy of neurotic and personality disorders.

About this edition

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0123983932
• ISBN 13: 9780123983930
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 170