Mythological Bridge Between Intergenerational Transmission of Unmourned Loss and Addiction.

In a study looking at severe substance abuse in an inpatient clinic, an indirect relationship was found between narcissistic loss in substance abusers and the trauma that has not yet been mourned by their ancestors or parents. The authors explore these links using psychoanalytic theory, Greek mythology, and a case study to investigate how these concepts are implicated in the histories of those who struggle with drug addiction. Psychoanalysis has explored the relationship between object loss and ego development but, more recently, the concept of the intergenerational transmission of trauma has been included in these discussions.