Servicemen in the Phantom Pain «Captivity»: Associative-Narrative Analysis of the Problem

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of functioning of psyche of the servicemen, who have
lost their limbs as a result of combat injury and are experiencing phantom pain. It was found that
the mental state of a serviceman, who had a traumatic limb amputation, can be identifi ed with a
state of acute grief. The fact of amputation leads to the collapse of all life prospects of a serviceman,
reassessment of one’s self, signifi cant decrease of the level of claims, and often to the loss of the
meaning of life. The peculiarities of phantom pain manifestation through the body and speech
of the patient were revealed. Phantom pain "strengthens" the body, provides it with "physicality",
and signals to the person that "pain has a body". It was showed that 50 to 80 % of patients with
amputated limbs experience phantom pain within 25 years after amputation.
The study included 16 soldiers with combat injuries of various severity, which led to amputation
of the limb. The methods of observation, associative experiment, and narrative interview were
implemented.
Post-amputation phantom pain was reported in 69% of left-sided and 31% of right-sided amputations.
It was found that the patient, who is feeling the amputated limb, continues to consider it a complete
organ, but with pain. The presence of pain intensifi es the feeling that the lost limb was not damaged.
Phantom pain is localized in a special form of expression – a symbol, and it is irradiating.
The narrative stories about the feelings associated with phantom pain reveal to psychologists and
medical staff the peculiarities of behavior of people, who live with this pain. It was revealed that
servicemen with an amputated limb feel neglection and hatred, concerning the compassion of
colleagues, friends, and relatives, and experience a deep sense of loneliness, which leads to a kind of
internal isolation. It was found that the invisible (illusory, ghostly) signs of phantom pain are much more
dangerous than a real injury. It was showed that patients with phantom pain can often experience
denial, passive protest, alienation, projection as specifi c varieties of psychological protection.
It was proved that phantom pain activates the "intruding memories" that had traumatized the
serviceman, and generate, in turn, a permanent internal discomfort. Phantom pain has devastating
eff ects that are diffi cult to understand and decode.