This is a very specific kind of doctor and any patient who sees an analyst would, I presume, have an inordinately difficult time dealing with his/her death. This kind of patient is not going to want to hear my advice, but here it is anyway-get over it and move on with your lives. I would say this is what your therapist would have wanted, but it isn’t true. Psychoanalysts have a tendency to treat their patients for extremely long periods of time for extraordinary amounts of money. The last thing an analyst wants is for his patients to get better.
True psychoanalysis was bourn out of theories set forth by Sigmund Freud. Unlike a lot of psychology majors, I actually have a lot of respect for Freud and think he had some very interesting theories. But, like most psychology majors, I don’t put a lot of credence in long-term psychoanalysis. I’m not mocking anyone who may need a little help. I’ve seen therapists before, when I was having marital problems and some other issues. I’ve seen three different therapists, for a total of something like seven visits. You deal with your issues and you move on. But, that isn’t how psychoanalysis works, is it?
No, an analyst will tell you things about yourself that even you didn’t think of. (S)he’ll interpret your dreams. (S)he’ll reassure you, pamper you, even get tough on you, if you need it. An analyst is a sort of surrogate parent. But, they’ll never tell you the things you need to hear. At some point in your lives, you’re going to have to face the world by yourselves. But, an analyst won’t say that. There is always something that “needs work” in the analyst’s eyes, and you may have to come back weekly (or sometimes two or three times a week) for twenty years or more. Psychoanalysts are really nothing more than drug dealers making their patients into junkies and forcing them to come back for more. It’s a great scam-if you have no conscience.
Look at Woody Allen. He’s been seeing the same shrink for something like forty years. After this amount of time, you’d think he would have responded by now. If not, a good psychiatrist would recommend seeing someone else. But, no. Woody keeps paying this guy-essentially to be his friend. It’s sick. It’s twisted. But, it’s at the heart of psychoanalysis.
And, the best part, from the analyst’s point of view, is that very rarely, with managed care and HMO’s, will insurance cover long-term analysis. So, the analyst can only take patients who can afford to pay out of pocket. They assist the “worried well” and no one’s the wiser. Therapies can go on, with no results, for decades and the therapist is laughing all the way to the bank.
So, how does one deal with the death of his/her psychoanalyst? Well, if they were to take my advice, they’d grieve for a short time and then move on. Unfortunately, patients who see analysts don’t view the world that way. Probably most patients who see psychoanalysts and then have their analysts die on them, actively seek out a new analyst and start the whole process over again. It’s an endless and vicious cycle.
