An unfortunate family: Terminal illness and the altering of the attachmentbond

This article emphasizes the value of a therapeutic presence in terminal dea th situations. An unusual clinical case illustrates the paint. The presenti ng issue was aggression between an adult son and father. It soon became app arent, however, that this son was profoundly enmeshed with his mother Durin g the course of family therapy the father died, and then the mother was dia gnosed with cancer The therapist changed therapeutic goals and attended to the relationship between mother and son. Ne made home visits to the mother and the surviving son. She seemed to die peacefully and the son moved on wi th his life, which prior to the death of his mother would not have appeared likely because of his profound dependence on her. Resolving pathological attachment is not easy. Attachment theory refers to the affectional bonds or attachments, initially between child and parent an d later between adult and adult. It is suggested that terminal illness and death can, with help of a therapist, alter this attachment bond, even thoug h the literature on adult dependency and attachment does not refer to death in this manner.