Dictionary Entry
abreaction
Part of SpeechnounPronunciation/ˌæb.ɹiˈæk.ʃn̩/Word FrequencyRare (1.36)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)The re-living of an experience with a view to purging its emotional dross.
In a Sentence
“After the therapy session, she felt a sense of abreaction as she talked through her childhood trauma.”
Published Usage Examples
“Meg also received abreaction therapy, during which she was given a "truth drug" that forced her to talk without restraint and left her with no memory of what she had said.”
“Luborsky suggested an explanation: “The different forms of psychotherapy have major common elements—a helping relationship with a therapist…along with the other related, nonspecific effects such as suggestion and abreaction Freudian jargon for emotional catharsis.””
This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 12 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.
Origin
Coined by Sigmund Freud from German 'Abreaktion'.
Common Phrases
Antonyms
No antonyms yet.
Poetry examples for “abreaction”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Poetry examples are still being gathered for this entry. They will appear here once matching poems are available in the library.