Attacked by Poison Ivy: A Psychological Understanding
by Ann Belford Ulanov
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ann Belford UlanovEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-11
ISBN: 0892540583
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Nicolas Hays
Book Reviews of Attacked by Poison Ivy: A Psychological Understanding
Book Review: The importance of containment and witnessing
Summary: 5 Stars
As one might suppose there is more meaning in the title of this book than meets the eye. However, the very real suffering caused by the ever changing ivy plant is not negated or over looked to merely make a psychological point. Ulanov gives careful attention to the physical reality of somatic illnesses while offering up the idea that perhaps it is possible to learn more about our selves and the Ultimate through such illnesses.Ulanov begins her book by tying together two events in her life. The first is a serious attack of poison ivy at the age of 50. The second is the worst attack of poison ivy she has ever suffered in her life at the age of 10. Making a connection between these two points in time lays the foundation for the book. These two attacks are interwoven throughout the book as Ulanov reveals that both are signals from her body that something needs to be acknowledged and expressed which is being denied. For Ulanov this `unthinkable thought' (to quote both Ulanov and Bion) is the level of sadness, which permeated her family life as a child and the benign neglect that accompanied that sadness.
This book is not a book about blaming one's family of origin but rather one of hope in which Ulanov, at the inquiry of a client, brings into consciousness the body's ability to absorb content from our living environment and then manifest it in such a way that we can learn about ourselves and the Divine. Although Ulanov never clearly states this idea it becomes clear to the reader that the body, much like Kohut's image of the mother or therapist as mother, takes in that which is offered by the environment that the conscious mind is unable to manage, contains it, metabolizes it and offers it back to the conscious mind in another manner so that it can be tolerated and integrated into conscious knowing. This is the lesson of poison ivy.
Ulanov underscores out the importance of witnessing. She refers to, not only the witnessing done within the therapeutic relationship, but also, the witnessing we must each do for our selves. She makes the point that her late husband, Barry, brought a sense of `realness' to her suffering when her pain powerfully moved him. This witness to the condition of physical pain opened up the possibility for Ulanov to explore the emotional pain, which was being manifested in the hard but weeping skin created by poison ivy. Having become her own witness to her personal pain and her family's pain she then realizes that the Self, which mediates the Divine, is also witnessing her.
Ulanov candidly illustrates how a child can grow up and visit on itself the same benign neglect that it experiences as a child. She admits to the reader that she has not always taken the proper precautions when she is about to engage the poison ivy plant even though she is aware of its effects on her body. She argues eloquently that the skin represents the act of containment and protection. Thus, disorders of the skin can point to our feelings about our own ability to contain things or manifest our understanding of the holding/containment we have been offered in our lifetime. She argues that there is much that our bodies try to communicate to us and urges the reader to listen. It is in the listening, she proposes, and the acknowledging that we find liberation not only from the physical symptoms but also our emotional and spiritual wounds.
Ulanov draws heavily on the works of Jung and Bion for understanding of the body-mind connection. She easily integrates the Indian understandings of chakras with various ancient traditions about snakes and the meaning of the shedding of skin. She also weaves in an understanding of bathing as a ritual of purity and returning to the warm, bath-like fluid and containment of the mother's womb. Most importantly, Ulanov offers herself as an example of how healing can occur when that which is negated and denied is finally acknowledged, named, and integrated into our conscious history. Since she began this journey to greater self- knowledge at the age of 50 (she is now in her early 60's) she has had several minor attacks but only one major attack which came shortly after the death of her husband Barry. She attributes this attack to her grief over losing the containment and nurture, which their relationship provided. She claims that the truth of what she has said about her family's sadness and the power of denial was made evident as she was writing this book. She would suffer minor outbreaks of poison ivy as she wrestled with expressing the sadness of unmet dependency needs. She encourages the reader to make the journey personally while warning it will not be an easy one. The reward will be the ability to live life more fully.
Summary of Attacked by Poison Ivy: A Psychological Understanding
As a modern excursion into the territory handled by animistic cultures where priests make mandalas in the sand and ritual dancers dance away spirits of illness, Ann Ulanov examines her own illness in the light of modern psychology. Her personal point of view in applying the symbolism of Jung's archetypes to these attacks is refreshing in its individualization of the analysis and serves as an example of psychology in practice.Psychology & Counseling Books
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