Beyond the death drive: The future of “repetition” and “compulsion to repeat” in psychopathology.

Abstract

Literature on Freud's use of "repetition" exists only insofar as it relates to shedding light on "repetition compulsion." Nevertheless, understanding Freud's use of "compulsion to repeat" is impossible without historical engagement, first, with its development over time and, second, with its relation to Freud's earlier uses of repetition both in and outside of the clinic. This article is a critical reading of Freud's employment of both repetition and repetition compulsion. We ask: How does compulsion to repeat differ from repetition? How do compulsions to repeat, given as evidence of the death drive, differ from compulsions to repeat that are consistent with the pleasure principle? Finally, is compulsion to repeat salvageable?