WHEN RAGE IS UNMENTIONABLE

Abstract

The rage of children who have undergone traumas, whether the violence be phisical, sexual or psychological, can have serious consequences if is not lived out, worked through and expressed. The consequences range from psychic or phisical symptoms which can emerge both in childhood and adulthood, to the pathological use of defence mechanisms, or self-hatred, or a death-like existence. This range is “unmentionable” above all be cause there is no possibility of it being “listened” to by adults. Some cases are quoted of juveniles who were made wards of court and of adults who underwent psychotherapy. A study of these cases indicates the importance of not suffocating these feelings and working through infantile suffering, so that it will not be repeated and trasmitted as it is the well known abuse-cycle effect