Abreaction: what it is and what effects does it have on the mind according to Freud

Traumas are hidden between layers and layers of repression, imposed by the same person who experienced them to make sure that these experiences do not harm him. If he does not remember them, he unconsciously believes that he will not feel them again.

The problem is that not being aware of a memory from the past does not mean that it cannot continue to harm us. It does it to us, it makes it impossible for us to lead a normal life and it can even cause us psychological and physical problems.

Abreaction is the process by which a repressed memory is brought into consciousness., as if it were fishing for memories.

This process can be very disturbing, in the sense that when recovering the traumatic memory it also comes out the light the emotions associated with it but, also, it supposes the opportunity to face that experience traumatic.

• Related article: "Emotional psychology: main theories of emotion"

What is abreaction?

From psychoanalysis, abreaction is called the discharge of emotions and affections associated with difficult memories, generally painful and traumatic childhood experiences

. In a therapeutic context, this phenomenon involves reliving painful situations by making the repressed memories go to a conscious level. Through verbalization and other behavioral or gestural expressions, the traumatic memory will be worked on and will release the emotional tension associated with it.

The origin of the term comes from the Austrian doctor Sigmund Freud and also the Austrian physician Joseph Breuer. This is the translation of the neologism "Abreagieren", made up of the German words "reagieren", react; and the prefix “ab”, which in this case is the equivalent of the prefix in Spanish “des”.

In its most original sense, the word "abreaction" would be understood as an emotional discharge through which an individual is released from emotions in reaction to a traumatic memory, preventing it from becoming or continuing to be a pathogen.

It is suggested that abreaction is not only a normal mechanism in the recovery processes from a psychological trauma, but also a necessary one. Through this an affect is discharged that from the psychoanalysis is defined as "strangled", which means that a repressed emotional state is released and complex that is brought to consciousness so that the patient can precisely work consciously with the.

Freud and Breuer considered that recovery does not occur only when expressing or reliving emotions. That is, bringing the repressed memory to the conscious level is not enough to help the patient and provide him with greater well-being and adaptation to his social life. Those who have experienced a trauma should not only know what it is, but also confront it, understand it and work all the emotions that he arouses, same emotions that have been corroding inside him even though he himself has not been aware of it.

When a patient recalls a past trauma, that memory and the emotions it arouses must be carefully analyzed. The mental health professional must accompany the patient throughout the process, helping him / her to integrate experiences, reasoning ideas, thoughts and emotions so as not to further intensify the pain.

• You may be interested in: "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Causes and Symptoms"

Traumas are there, always

In psychoanalysis it is considered that a trauma always leaves clues. This traumatic memory is latent in the brain, altering the patient's way of reacting to stimuli, relating to others and perceiving himself. The traumatic, despite being hidden in the depths of his mind, conditions him in everything and increases the risk of suffering from a health problem in adulthood.

It is no secret that people who experienced traumatic experiences in their childhood have a greater risk of presenting problems in adulthood ranging from chronic physical pain to mental disorders of all kinds, including anxiety, depression or even schizophrenia.

Even if a disorder does not manifest, there is no doubt that having lived through extremely stressful and threatening situations in childhood will take a toll on mental health, even if they are not consciously remembered. And on top of that, the brain has the ability to link any present stimulus with the threat that was once experienced as truly terrifying.

These stimuli can be totally harmless things, but they remind you of truly stressful moments. A smell, a sound or an image can take the patient back to his past, causing a repressed memory to come to light, that is, an abreaction. Is at that time when emotions arise, causing tears to appear, tremors appear, a feeling of insecurity ... It can become blocked.

On the other hand, when abreaction appears during therapy, in a controlled space, this phenomenon is a real opportunity to combat the trauma to its full extent. In therapy, the patient can be helped to remember more events and verbalize all the traumatic memory. Through the guidance of the psychologist, a highly disturbing and troublesome memory can be transformed into a healthier and better controlled state.

• Related article: "What is trauma and how does it influence our lives?"

Abreaction: from an obstacle to a therapeutic tool

There are two types of abreaction: planned and spontaneous. Spontaneous abreaction is that which arises by chance as a result of stimuli related to trauma, while planned is one that is induced in an organized way, normally facilitated by the psychologist in the middle of the therapy. It is this second that acquires a therapeutic power, not by itself but thanks to the help of the psychologist who acts as a guide during the process and can help the patient to cope with the memory painful.

One of the most suitable techniques to produce abreactions is the EMDR (desensitization and reprocessing through eye movement). The goal of this therapeutic approach is to convert dysfunctionally stored information into a more integrative, less pathological, and emotionally manageable memory. The psychologist will take on the role of providing the patient with constant support and security so that, from a professional distance but compassionate, the recipient of therapy can acquire a degree of control over his memories, reformulating ideas, beliefs and emotions.

Two things can happen during the abreaction process. The first is for the patient to dissociate, activating the psychological mechanism that makes him disconnect the mind from reality because the emotional pain is so great that he cannot handle it and makes use of this resource. The second is to carry out a whole exercise in catharsis, and release everything that has been repressed, gaining well-being and acquiring a powerful tool to cope with the painful emotions that you have experienced in the silence of your subconscious.

In fact, Freud uses the term "abreaction" as a replacement for catharsis, a word of Greek origin that means both "purge" and "purification", referring in this case to the fact that the patient, if he succeeds, frees himself from all emotional tension, he "cleanses" himself of bad emotions. Although the memory will still be there, the painful emotions that it caused you will no longer manifest and it will no longer hurt you. The problem is externalized, represented outside, which makes the person who relieves it the person who had it inside.

Thus, psychoanalysis indicates that abreaction can be a truly useful tool in the context of therapy, as long as it is controlled at the time of onset. The traumas of the patients can only be worked on when they are aware of them, identify what exactly happened, what emotions it produces in them and work on the beliefs around them. Making the repressed move to the level of consciousness is a fundamental task in any therapeutic process, since only getting the patient to control and understand the trauma will be able to acquire more mental health and well-being emotional.