The Troubled Mind of Northern Ireland: An Analysis of the Emotional Effects of the Troubles

Reviews and Endorsements

'Using a Kleinian point of view, the authors admirably inform us as to how groups and individuals, including caretakers of society, react to shared anxiety and violence. Without taking into consideration the ways psychological processes contaminate societal, political and legal movements after massive trauma, it would be difficult to contemplate and initiate peaceful solutions. While this book focuses on the situation in Northern Ireland, the authors' observations and findings can easily be applied to conditions in the other troubled spots of the world. Kapur and Campbell's contributions have created an opportunity to consider new ways of thinking about ethnic and religious violence and its consequences.'
- Vamik D. Volkan, MD, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and Senior Erik Erikson Scholar, the Austen Riggs Center

'This is a brave attempt to examine the psychological features and consequences of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland, written with passion by two mental health professionals who know the situation well. Critical and hard-hitting, it also suggests what needs to be done to find a new way forward.'
- Stephen Frosh, Professor of Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London

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Dr C.J.S.Holland on 30/09/2004

(5 out of 5)

Brief review of The Troubled Mind of Northern Ireland by Raman Kapur and Jim Campbell.

"WHO WANTS TO UNDERSTAND, I WANT TO FIGHT"

This is a first class undertaking to try to say it straight to the Troubled Mind of Northern Ireland, and to add deep psychological understanding from the world of psychoanalysis. The book clearly addresses the powerful grip of the fundamentalist, primitive and fascist state of mind, in its individual and group manifestations, and offers both simple and profound analytical concepts for elucidating such primitive, persistent and pervasive states of mind. There will be opposition in proportion to the degree that various people and groups feel that their treasured beliefs are being described in ways that they do not like. The fundamentalists in all religions, sects and movements
Create their corresponding opposite pole - like conservative evangelical capitalists in the USA or "the West", and Al Quaida or Bin Ladin in "the East".
The journalist between such polarised opponents is likely to be twice traumatised - once "standing over a body describing the site for the photographer and going on to the next one", and then, when attempting to balance the arguments, is attacked from both sides as dreadfully biased.
Hearing so often about the terrible traumas from all ranges of society, and trying to contain the feelings engendered by the primitive actions and counteractions, secondary trauma is the hazard of the therapists, the therapeutic community and the peacemakers. As Kapur and Campbell describe so vividly, the offered insight is treated as an invasive attack. They know, as one of the founders of psychoanalysis warned many decades ago, that as the thoughts that are personally unacceptable to us are suppressed into the unconscious of individuals and groups, so we should not be surprised at the resistance to pointers towards unpalatable truths, and not only resistance to, but hatred of those who wish to build bridges of understanding or hope.
The authors have described in detail many vivid examples from a variety of settings illustrating the troubled minds and the ways that analytical ideas, concepts and theories can illuminate such troubles - or even understand them. What Kapur and Campbell are courageously taking on is the common atmosphere of "who wants to understand, Id rather fight!"

Dr C.J.S.Holland
Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst and Psychotherapist
Visiting Consultant to Threshold for over ten years.
Scottish Institute of Human Relations, Edinburgh.