The dream’s evolution in psychotherapy: symbols and content analysis in a clinical study experience of chronic bulimia

Analysis of dream content during analytic treatment of an older woman with bulimia reveals parallel evolution of symptoms and symbols. The single case study traces the first signs of disordered eating to infancy and childhood, with re-exacerbation in adulthood. The authors contend that tracking dream symbol changes provides important insights into symptom meaning and the global course of psychotherapeutic treatment.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article concerns the psychological development and the evolution of the dream’s content, during an analytic treatment. The dream’s content analysis reflects the evolution of symbols in line with theoretical analytical issue, that manifest themselves during the treatment, thus revealing important insights for analyst, in the subject’s symptoms and their meaning. This specific single case regards an older woman suffering from an eating disorder (bulimia), manifesting the first typical signs related to food intake, already in its developmental age (infancy and childhood,) and re-exacerbated in adulthood. This study enables the contemplation of the parallel psychic evolution, throughout the course of the analytic treatment, of the symptomatic signs and the associated symbols evolution, that comprise the patient’s dream world activities. The analysis of the dream’s evolution is an important indicator of the global course of psychother-apeutic treatment for patients.