The hijacked mind

An examination of the trauma of sexual abuse using the events of September 11th 2001 as a metaphor

  • Ashleigh Phoenix
DOI: https://doi.org/10.9791/ajpanz.2010.04

Abstract

This paper considers the traumas suffered by those who have been habitually sexually abused by a parent living within the family home. The cumulative events of the '9 /11 terrorist attacks' are used as a metaphor. This metaphor has helped the author to think and to imagine the scale of the damage to the child's internal world and to appreciate more fully the extent of the losses which are incurred by the victims of abuse. Throughout the paper the impact of annihilation anxiety on the personality development and symptomatic presentation of those who have been hurt by a parent in this way, is highlighted.

Author Biography

Ashleigh Phoenix

As recorded in 2010.

Ashleigh Phoenix is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council. She has worked with the sexually abused for 29 yrs and has a particular interest in treating childhood trauma. Latterly she specialises in treating enduring mental illness and is concerned to improve access to psychotherapy for these people. She has precious memories of New Zealand and she would like to thank her New Zealand colleagues for their warm and enthusiastic reception at the Nelson conference (March 2010) where she presented an earlier version of this paper. She currently runs a private practice in the Chalke Valley near Salisbury Wiltshire and also continues to work part time for the NHS.

Published
2010-12-30
How to Cite
Phoenix, A. (2010). The hijacked mind: An examination of the trauma of sexual abuse using the events of September 11th 2001 as a metaphor. Ata: Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand, 15(1), 26-39. https://doi.org/10.9791/ajpanz.2010.04
Issue
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2010): Forum: The Journal of the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (Inc.)
Section
Articles