Issue 3/4 Vol. 34 1992

Greatnational madness - syndrome or disease

GRUDEN, V.

Social and political problems are successfully solvable when they are analyzed in the frame of psychodynamical knowledge. It is possible to discover, in a social appearance, a mental disturbance or a syndrome, as a mass phenomenon. So, in the basis of the aggression against Croatia, the syndrome of greatnational madness is discovered which should not be identified with the nation. The disease has become epidemical by induction.

The symptoms of the great-national madness syndrome are, first of all, aggression against and destruction of all which is Croatian. The realization of that impulse is totally uncritical. The system of logic and partial arguments serves as an excuse for destruction in front of one's own superego and external limitations.

In terms of psychodynamics, we are talking about persons with reduced sublimation abilities. Such a patient projects his aggression towards his victim, finding, at the same time, a paranoid excuse for his destruction activity. Patients are apt to anonymisation and the loss of identity by forming a large group and idealizing the leader. Thus they diminish their sense of guilt.

Searching a therapy they unconsciously choose psychotherapists for their leaders, who, because of their narcissism and professional inadequacy, do not treat their patients, but, being induced themselves, legalize the greatnational madness.

According to inductivity and organization of the system, greatnational madness might be disease, and not only a syndrom.

Keywords: great-national madness syndrome, nationalism, mass phenomena

Short Title: Gruden, V. (1992) PsyBeit 3-4:356

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