The Traumatic Neuroses of War

Focusing on the psychological impact of World War II, this seminal work by Abram Kardiner explores the concept of "neurosis of war," detailing symptoms such as trauma fixation and personality constriction. Kardiner's insights into war-related stress laid the groundwork for modern PTSD research, emphasizing that traumatic neurosis stems from adaptive failures rather than conflictual illness. His observations, rooted in his experiences at a U.S. Veterans Hospital, redefined the understanding of trauma within psychoanalytic theory, making this text a crucial resource for studying psychological trauma.