Word
abreaction
Phoneticsabre·ac·tion
Definition
n. a sudden and strong emotional reaction to a past event. It is often used in psychology to describe a way people release deep feelings they have been holding back.
n. a sudden and intense emotional release, typically involving the re-experiencing of a traumatic event. Often used in the context of psychotherapy to describe the cathartic discharge of repressed emotions.
Examples
“The patient had a strong abreaction during the therapy session.”
“The therapist encouraged the client to describe the accident in detail to facilitate a complete abreaction of the trauma.”
“While some critics argue that abreaction can be re-traumatizing, others maintain that the immediate emotional release is a necessary first step toward long-term psychological healing.”
Examples
simple
“The patient had a strong abreaction during the therapy session.”
contextual
“The therapist encouraged the client to describe the accident in detail to facilitate a complete abreaction of the trauma.”
complex
“While some critics argue that abreaction can be re-traumatizing, others maintain that the immediate emotional release is a necessary first step toward long-term psychological healing.”
Etymology
Partial calque of German Abreagierung, from ab (“away from”) + Reagierung (“reaction”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/abreaction