Cäcilie M. (Anna von Lieben, born Anna von Todesco; c. 1847–1900) is the pseudonym of one of Freud's first patients, whom he called in 1890 his "principal client" and in 1897 his "instructress".Peter Gay, Freud: A Life for Our Time (1988) p. 69

Life Born into a rich Austrian Jewish family, Anna von Lieben was referred to Freud in the late eighties for help with a long-standing series of nervous disorders. After referring her for a consultation with Charcot, Freud treated her (with some short-term success) through hypnotism, taking her with him to see Hippolyte Bernheim in 1889 in the (unsuccessful) hope that he might be able to work a permanent cure.Ernest Jones, The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud (1964) p. 211 He also used abreaction for temporary relief of her symptoms,Herman Westerink, A Dark Trace: Sigmund Freud on the Sense of Guilt (2009) p. 12 noting, however, that her sense of guilt and self-reproaches would swiftly return after the treatment sessions.Malcolm Macmillan, Freud Evaluated: The Completed Arc (1991) p. 106

Her symptoms, including hallucinations and physical spasms, provided the basis for many of Freud's claims about conversion hysteria; and how to interpret back from physical symptom or hallucination to the underlying (symbolic) emotional meaning it expressed,Joseph Schwartz, Cassandra's Daughter (2003) pp. 51-52 often by a "punning" logic.Mignon Nixon, Fantastic Reality: Louise Bourgeois and a Story of Modern Art (2005) pp. 138-139

Criticism Freud's later critics have argued that his continuing treatment of Anna, given awareness of her incurability, amounted to using her as a kind of cash-cow.Fouad Bishay Michael, Ingenious Nonsense: Religion, Philosophy, Pseudoscience, and the Paranormal (2012) p. 80

Freud continued during the six years of psychoanalysis to treat her continuously with injections of morphine without any success or therapeutic result.Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen (2011). Les patients de Freud. Destins. Éditions Sciences Humaines

See also

References

Further reading

Peter J. Swales, "Freud, his Teacher, and the Birth of Psychoanalysis", in Paul E. Stepansky, ed., Freud, Appraisals and Reappraisals, vol. 1 (1986) 3-82

External links Cäcilie M., Case of Anna von Lieben, Gedichte (1867-1870) Anna von Lieben, Gedichte (1867-1873)