Resumo
This paper explores the phenomenon of non-psychotic denial of pregnancy, a situation in which the woman is unaware that she is pregnant for up to five months or more, or until labor. This phenomenon is explored through three different psychoanalytical concepts: disallow, unthinkable pregnancy and indifference experience. The disallow defense mechanism, in cases of denial of pregnancy, is considered as an explanation why women do not link their bodily changes with a possible pregnancy. It appears that women cannot link the sexual act to pregnancy if they have suffered because of a traumatic situation. These situations are explained in the concept of unthinkable experience. In this paper, indifference experience is related to borderline patients, a possible psychopathological structure for women who do not know they are pregnant.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work [SPECIFY PERIOD OF TIME] after publication simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).