L'Information Psychiatrique
MENUCancer and body image: identity, representation, symbolism Volume 85, issue 3, mars 2009
Author
Psychiatre, équipe de psycho-oncologie, Centre Oscar-Lambret, 59020 Lille
- Key words: cancer, body image, identity, mutilation
- DOI : 10.1684/ipe.2009.0457
- Page(s) : 247-54
- Published in: 2009
Body image disorders induced by cancer and its mutilated treatment will lead to a physical and narcissistic wound among patients. This raises the question of a metamorphosis of their bodily and psychological identity. The bodily mutilation symbolizes all the physical and psychological patient’s suffering and is linked with various issues: death, castration, reparation, specular image. For caregivers, these disorders send back to phenomena in mirror under tightened by mechanisms of projection and identification. Body image disorders care is a priority in terms of quality of life and care satisfaction for patients.