As faces do envelhecimento sob um olhar psicanalítico

Abstract

This thesis presents a study on the process of getting old. I used interviews with old patients having as an aim to research the psychic alterations on the old age. These alterations were analyzed using the theory of some psychoanalysts: Winnicott, Safra, Little e Guntrip. I observed psychic alterations in every patient. We may conclude that this period of life is very complicated and that is fundamental the use of the transitional space to help them cope with the problems wich are characteristic of maturity. Every patient that was able to deal with the idea of death, had his transitional space formed. There were creativity and gesture in them and achievements suggested elaboration. That pointed to good ability in elaborating problems. Other patients were starting to cope with the problems of constitution of the self, searching for the integrative process and the personalization. The dissociation was found as a defense due to the decline of body vitality that the idea of death in mind can cause to the body. However as dissociation causesdoes the dispersonalization throwing one into unthinkable agonies, this defense is abandoned and the decline of body vitality is the only way for the re-integration of the mind and body. In this case these patients were not able to realize themselves in their day by day life, their life had no creativity and no creative gesture