[Psychological and psychiatric services provided to soldiers in the burial operation (Zaire, July-August 1994)]. / Action psychologique et psychiatrique en faveur des soldats de l'opération turquoise (Zaïre, juillet-août 1994).

In July 1994, a small contingent of the French army had the physically and psychologically difficult task of burying 40,000 cadavers in Goma (Zaire). This was the only way to eradicate a cholera epidemic which decimated 1,200,000 Rwanda refugees fleeing from the war. The mission of the military psychiatrist posted in Goma consisted of promoting mental health actions and providing psychological support for the soldiers most "exposed" to the burial operations. He was unable to avoid a dozen sanitary evacuations (out of 200 soldiers), some of which were abusive, but discreetly helped the small proportion (25%) of soldiers determined to complete their mission despite the development of symptoms of anxiety, depression and personality disorders. The others assumed their task with no apparent difficulties. The solidarity of the military group (especially in the form of small units) and the hierarchical structure of the army enabled each member of the contingent to complete this dreadful task.

[Fault, sacrifice and traumatic neurosis. Apropos of a case]. / Faute, sacrifice et névrose traumatique. A propos d'un cas.

The present case is one of a patient suffering from traumatic neurosis, on whom psychotherapeutic work has been possible. The traumatic experience, which dates back to the Franco-Algerian War, could have gradually started making sense in the context of its onset and of the state in which the relationship between the patient and his father remained at the time. Something along the lines of an irrevocable mistake, irrevocable since logically referred to as a serious moral mistake on the part of the father towards his son, renders humanely comprehensible his upkeep of his atrocity as represented by the repetition of the revival symptoms.

[The alcoholic patient, his work and the subjectivity of the period]. / L'alcoolique, son travail et la subjectivité de l'époque.

In the western contemporary society, employment is above all the premise for social integration. Thus, the alcoholic will play on the professional scene the complex question of that which associates him with the community of mankind and that which distinguishes him. The role of the "model worker" allows him to conform to the mass opinion and at the same time to mark his difference. Nevertheless, the excesses that characterizes his game and the lack of faith, that he places on his principal partners will lead to his secretly sought after exclusion. It remains for the physician to receive his commentaries, his work often being the last point in which he can still speak of himself.

[Demand for care in traumatic war neuroses]. / La demande de soins dans les "névroses traumatiques de guerre".

Psychiatrists who must take care of patients suffering of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders are often surprised in front of the strength of repetition of the related frightful experience. Therapeutics methods which are more often used (Abreaction and Narcissism reconstruction by varied technics) have showed their limits. Leaning on their experience and referring to psycho-analytic teaching, the authors show the interest of the individual psychotherapy. They propose not to be strongly affected by the massive aspect to the "trauma" and to permit as far as possible the installation of the transfer.