Overview

“A vivid account of how Sigmund Freud coped with the great 'pandemics' of his time, from the Great War and Spanish Flu to cancer and the Nazis. By assessing how my great-grandfather might have addressed COVID-19 – the pandemic of our own times – Professor Kahr opens up a series of insights into the life of the man who championed the radical innovation of actually listening to people suffering from mental affliction. Meticulously researched, and written with real pace, this book is a timely reminder of the psychological roots of our response to national trauma.” – Lord Freud, great-grandson of Sigmund Freud and President of the Freud Museum London In this compelling book, the first in the new Freud Museum London series, Professor Brett Kahr describes how Sigmund Freud endured innumerable emotional pandemics during his eighty-three years of life, ranging from unsubstantiated accusations by medical colleagues to anti-Semitic abuse, the loss of one daughter to Spanish flu and the arrest of another child by the Gestapo, to his own painful cancer treatments and his final flight from Adolf Hitler’s Austria. Freud navigated these personal and political tragedies while simultaneously creating a method of healing which has helped countless millions deal with unbearable trauma and distress. Through founding psychoanalysis, Kahr argues that Freud not only saved himself from destruction but also provided the rest of the world with the means to achieve a form of psychological vaccination against emotional and mental distress. The Freud Museum London and Karnac Books have joined forces to publish a new book series devoted to an examination of the life and work of Sigmund Freud alongside other significant figures in the history of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and depth psychology more broadly. The series will feature works of outstanding scholarship and readability, including biographical studies, institutional histories, and archival investigations. New editions of historical classics as well as translations of little-known works from the early history of psychoanalysis will also be considered for inclusion.

Full Product Details

Author:   Brett Kahr
Publisher:   Karnac Books
Imprint:   Karnac Books
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.518kg
ISBN:  

9781913494513

ISBN 10:   1913494519
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   16 September 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

Prologue: Fundraising for Freud Introduction: “Wouldn’t it be better if we all killed ourselves?” 1.The Fraudulent Jewish Pervert: Navigating Decades of Collegial Hatred 2. The Great War and the Spanish Flu: An Imprisoned Son and a Dying Daughter 3. From Compulsive Cigar-Smoking to Deadly Carcinoma: Freud’s Battle with Physical Pain 4. Death Wishes and the Nazis: How Freud Escaped from Austria 5. Freud’s Recipe for Creativity and Survival: The Writing Cure and the Role of Penetrativity Conclusion: If Sigmund Freud could have supervised Anthony Fauci Acknowledgements Scholarly clarifications End notes References Index

Reviews

'A vivid account of how Sigmund Freud coped with the great 'pandemics' of his time, from the Great War and Spanish Flu to cancer and the Nazis. By assessing how my great-grandfather might have addressed COVID-19 – the pandemic of our own times – Professor Kahr opens up a series of insights into the life of the man who championed the radical innovation of actually listening to people suffering from mental affliction. Meticulously researched, and written with real pace, this book is a timely reminder of the psychological roots of our response to national trauma.' -- Lord Freud, great-grandson of Sigmund Freud and President of the Freud Museum London. 'Never has there been a time when Freud was needed so badly. Post-pandemic blues would not have been new to Freud as Brett Kahr describes in his phenomenal book, which I feel was sent to save us from confusion and turmoil. A must read!' -- Jane McAdam Freud, artist, and daughter of Lucian Freud, and great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud. 'Brett Kahr’s immersion in Freud – the gift that keeps on giving – will help us survive the trauma of pandemics in our own lives. Kahr draws insightful parallels from Freud’s own struggles and serves as a timely and fascinating reminder of the ubiquitous nature of pandemics and why suicide isn’t the answer.' -- Professor the Baroness Hollins, past president, British Medical Association, and Past President, Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Professor Emerita, St. George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London. 'During the COVID pandemic, Brett Kahr dove into the archives so as to remind us how Western life not so long ago meant nearly constant, grievous loss. Invisible enemies like the “Spanish” flu, tuberculous, and pneumonia, operations that were eviscerations, complicated pregnancies, even seemingly benign habits like smoking, all these early twentieth century realities spelled doom. If we are to learn the right lessons from our own global disaster, we would benefit from recalling the lives of those who – before antibiotics and mass immunizations – endured, such as Kahr’s brilliant, stoical Sigmund Freud.' -- Professor George Makari, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry: History, Policy, and the Arts, and the author of Revolution in Mind: The Creation of Psychoanalysis.

A vivid account of how Sigmund Freud coped with the great pandemics of his time, from the Great War and Spanish Flu to cancer and the Nazis. By assessing how my great-grandfather might have addressed COVID-19 - the pandemic of our own times - Professor Kahr opens up a series of insights into the life of the man who championed the radical innovation of actually listening to people suffering from mental affliction. Meticulously researched, and written with real pace, this book is a timely reminder of the psychological roots of our response to national trauma. -- Lord Freud Never has there been a time when Freud was needed so badly. Post-pandemic blues would not have been new to Freud as Brett Kahr describes in his phenomenal book, which I feel was sent to save us from confusion and turmoil. A must read! -- Jane McAdam Freud Brett Kahr's immersion in Freud - the gift that keeps on giving - will help us survive the trauma of pandemics in our own lives. Kahr draws insightful parallels from Freud's own struggles and serves as a timely and fascinating reminder of the ubiquitous nature of pandemics and why suicide isn't the answer. -- Professor the Baroness Hollins During the COVID pandemic, Brett Kahr dove into the archives so as to remind us how Western life not so long ago meant nearly constant, grievous loss. Invisible enemies like the Spanish flu, tuberculous, and pneumonia, operations that were eviscerations, complicated pregnancies, even seemingly benign habits like smoking, all these early twentieth century realities spelled doom. If we are to learn the right lessons from our own global disaster, we would benefit from recalling the lives of those who - before antibiotics and mass immunizations - endured, such as Kahr's brilliant, stoical Sigmund Freud. -- Professor George Makari

Author Information

Brett Kahr is Senior Fellow at the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology in London and Visiting Professor of Psychoanalysis and Mental Health in the Regent’s School of Psychotherapy and Psychology at Regent’s University London. Additionally, he serves as Consultant Psychotherapist at The Balint Consultancy and as a Trustee of both the Freud Museum London and of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. He is also a member of the Executive Board of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy. Professor Kahr has worked in the mental health profession for over forty years, during which time he has written fifteen books and has served as series editor for more than sixty additional titles. He treats both individuals and couples in private practice in Central London.

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