Cäcilie M. (Anna von Lieben, born Anna von Tedesco; 1847–1900) is the pseudonym of one of
Freud's first patients, whom he called in 1890 his “principal client” and in 1897 his “instructress”.
Life
Born into a rich Austrian Jewish family, Anna von Lieben was referred to Freud in the late eighties for help with a long-standing series of nervous disorders. After referring her for a consultation with
Charcot, Freud treated her (with some short-term success) through
hypnotism, taking her with him to see
Hippolyte Bernheim
Hippolyte Bernheim (17 April 1840, in Mulhouse – 2 February 1919, in Paris) was a French physician and neurologist. He is chiefly known for his theory of suggestibility in relation to hypnotism.
Life
Born into a Jewish family, Bernheim receiv ...
in 1889 in the (unsuccessful) hope that he might be able to work a permanent cure. He also used
abreaction Abreaction (german: Abreagieren) is a psychoanalytical term for reliving an experience to purge it of its emotional excesses—a type of catharsis. Sometimes it is a method of becoming conscious of repressed traumatic events.
Psychoanalytic origins ...
for temporary relief of her symptoms, noting however that her sense of guilt and self-reproaches would swiftly return after the treatment sessions.
Her symptoms, including hallucinations and physical spasms, provided the basis for many of Freud's claims about
conversion hysteria
Conversion disorder (CD), or functional neurologic symptom disorder, is a diagnostic category used in some psychiatric classification systems. It is sometimes applied to patients who present with neurological symptoms, such as numbness, blindnes ...
; and how to interpret back from physical symptom or hallucination to the underlying (symbolic) emotional meaning it expressed, often by a 'punning' logic.
Criticism
Freud's later critics have argued that his continuing treatment of Anna, given awareness of her incurability, amounted to using her as a kind of cash-cow.
[F. B. Michael, ''Ingenious Nonsense'' (2012) p. 80]
See also
References
Further reading
*Peter J. Swales, 'Freud, his Teacher, and the Birth of Psychoanalysis', in Paul E. Stepansky ed., ''Freud, Appraisals and Reappraisals'', (1986) 3-82
External links
Cäcilie M., Case of
Anna von Lieben, Gedichte (1867-1870)
Anna von Lieben, Gedichte (1867-1873)
{{DEFAULTSORT:M., Cacilie
Case studies by Sigmund Freud
1847 births
1900 deaths
Austrian Jews
History of psychology
Women and psychology
de:Anna von Lieben