ABSTRACT

On referral, Mrs. D, a young married woman, was concerned about feeling `frozen'

inside and having lost, over several months ± perhaps even for a year ± her

enthusiasm for a number of her usual activities like reading, socializing and taking

weekend trips to the countryside. She said that her `emotional repertoire' had

dwindled to the point where at dinner parties she felt sti¯ed and with less and less

to say. She also mentioned feeling tearful a lot, and of struggling with con®dence at

work, where she occupied a very senior position. When I mentioned the word

`depression' Mrs. D responded by looking quite drowsy and she commented that

my using that word had triggered something. In passing, towards the end of the

session she made mention of the death of her mother twenty years ago, who had

died at the age of 50 from brain cancer.