Problems with religious content and their meaning in two cases of adolescent neurosis

Abstract

This work explores religious issues in the context of two cases of adolescent neurosis, highlighting how feelings of inferiority and the desire for superiority manifest themselves through “religious mania” and self-destructive behaviors. Two patients are analyzed: a 12-year-old girl in conflict with her female identity and her relationship with her mother, and a 14-year-old girl suffering from anorexia nervosa, who associates her illness with her religious practice. Both cases show how religious issues represent a compensation for deep insecurities, highlighting the importance of an integrated and sensitive therapeutic approach to promote their psychological development