Mother-son incest as a defence against psychosis

Mother-son incest as a defence against psychosis

In the following, a case of mother‐adult son incest is described and explained from a psychoanalytical viewpoint. Two theories are put forward: (a) Mother‐son incest may occur as a defence against psychosis, and (b) the incest represents an unconscious search for triangulation, a process in which external authorities (such as, for example, a court of law) may function as surrogates for persons who have been missed in the pre‐oedipal past. It is therefore possible to understand mother‐son incest symbolically as an indicator of pre‐oedipal needs of the son and of the mother's longing for the absent partner. The incest is, however, not only a cry for help; it is also to be regarded as an attempt to solve the problem for both people involved. Looked at in this way, new ways of understanding and new possibilities for therapy emerge.

Psychiatry and Mental health