IJFS - Interdisciplinary Journal of Family Studies

Thanks to the use of psychodrama, I have been able to help a woman
abused by an alcoholic mother.
The abuse involved physical violence, which left traces on her body, and also
“invisible” violence perpetrated through her mother’s indifference, coldness and
unwillingness to give her tenderness and have a loving relationship. All her past
experiences made her “see” a man’s love only when expressed in the form of
severity, strength and forced obedience. That is why she chose a tough, decided,
violent partner who subjected her to physical violence. Her idea of a “real man”
did not correspond to that of a gentle, quiet and respectful one. She did not know,
nor could understand, any other idea of love but the one she had experienced as a
child.