‘I don’t know whether I wish to be cured or not’ – The Effects of Naikan on Ambivalent Functions: What Symptoms Tell Us

Abstract

  There are those who experience intractable and challenging symptoms such as anorexia nervosa, who are unsure “whether or not they want to eat” or “whether or not they want to go out,” for whom such uncertainty manifests as a painful state of immobility. A patient reflecting on her life stated, “As a child, it upset me to see my mother affected by my father’s harsh words.” Owing to such vivid childhood memories, she could not forget her mother’s distress. Her resentment toward her father for mistreating her mother, and her frustration toward her mother for not standing up for herself, seemed to weigh her down.

  In counseling, we worked on verbalizing matters of day-to-day life and emotional pain. The turning point came when her spouse’s job-related transfer made it difficult for her to come to the clinic and when she was recommended for hospitalization after her physical condition worsened. Feelings such as the excitement of being able to experience Naikan voluntarily, and the joy of having her parents experience Naikan on her behalf, were helpful in eliminating the sense of being held captive by suffering, and thus in recovering the strength to act freely. The proactive approach to Naikan Therapy and the modification of attachment-related emotional experiences helped to ease the patient’s immobility and improved her symptoms. Moreover, facing the symptoms provided her with an opportunity to improve her family relationships.