ABSTRACT
Among the meanings that a traumatic event has for an individual, those established at an unconscious level are among the most important. Often a person's experience of trauma links up with his or her earlier experiences in life, especially those that have featured in previous relationships. In re-enacting trauma, traumatized patients may identify with various figures and/or elements involved in the traumatic events. This process may determine not only the form of a person's difficulties, but also his or her behaviour in psychoanalytic consultation and treatment. It is extremely painful and arduous to undertake the work of mourning. This was captured beautifully in Susie's description of her brother's capacity to move in and out of touch with the reality of his loss, as his desire to defend himself against pain waxed and waned. The word recovery is misleading. It implies something regained, found again. After a traumatic event, life is never the same again.
