Greenson 1953
Greenson 1953
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8 RALPH R. GREENSON
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ON BOREDOM 9
faithful to her husband for many years and had only started hav-
ing extramarital affairs when her boredom became extreme. She
enjoyed these affairs because of the intrigue; they were interesting
and diverted her mind. Her sexual satisfaction was greater with
her husband, however.
Since the onset of the boredom, the patient had taken to drink-
ing quite heavily and consumed about ten to fifteen alcoholic
drinks per day. She did not consider herself an alcoholic, since, in
her social sphere, this quantity of drinking was usual. Her own
reason for drinking was that it made her feel pleasantly quiet and
it made the time pass quickly.
T h e significant past history of this patient disclosed that her
father had deserted the family when the patient was two and a
half years of age and she was abandoned by her mother at three.
From that time on the patient lived with grandparents, aunts and
uncles; being shifted about at irregular intervals. From time to
time her mother would visit and spend time with her.
T h e patient’s mother was a warmhearted, irresponsible, promis-
cuous, alcoholic woman. In the first years of her life the patient
yearned for this mother because she was so warm and giving in her
ways in contrast to the cold, austere grandparents. Later on she
turned against her, felt great conscious hatred toward her and was
determined never to become the kind of a woman her mother
was. During the course of the analysis the fear of becoming like
her mother was uncovered to be one of the dominant anxieties
i n the patient’s life.
T h e patient’s early sexual history is noteworthy because of the
many traumata and because of the ease with which she was able
to recall these experiences. From age two she could remember
primal scenes; at age four she experienced cunnilingus with dogs;
somewhat later there were doctor games and before six clitoral
masturbation. At twelve there was a resumption of masturbation,
at fifteen the first heterosexual experience. She had an abortion at
age sixteen, syphilis at seventeen, a homosexual affair at eighteen
and indulged in various perverse acts until nineteen, when she
was married. Most of these activities were pursued because they
were a means of establishing an interpersonal relationship. T h e
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10 . RALPH R. GREENSON
patient felt she had little else to offer anyone and she was grateful
for any emotional warmth shown her. T h e search for sexual satis-
faction was an unimportant factor in this behavior.
I1
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ON BOREDOM I3
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14 RALPH R. GREENSON
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16 RALPH R. GREENSON
IV
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18 RALPH R. GREENSON
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VI
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20 RALPH R. GREENSON
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,r ONBOREDOM 21
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