Loneliness in the Context of Frieda Fromm-Reichmann’s Life

Abstract

Frieda Fromm-Reichmann’s “On Loneliness” uniquely reflects her core values and experiences. Dr. Fried, an immigrant psychiatrist from Germany, is portrayed in Joanne Greenberg’s semiautobiographical novel not as a replica but as a fictional creation, necessitating complementary biographical accounts of Frieda. From childhood, she honed the skill of managing relationships with her deaf parents and others. Her commitment to the lonely and disabled was professionally inspired by her mentors, Kurt Goldstein and Georg Groddeck. Despite achieving international renown as an outstanding psychotherapist for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, her later years were marked by ongoing separations from significant others, the advent of the psychotropic treatment era, and worsening deafness. A key to understanding her work may be her Judaism, which she ceased practicing three decades prior.