The Three Cures of Bertha Pappenheim (Anna O): the Talking Cure, the Writing Cure, and the Social Cure

Abstract Bertha Pappenheim was the real name of Anna O, the first psychoanalytic patient. In her treatment with Joseph Breuer, Pappenheim invented what she called “Chimney-sweeping,” the procedure of tracing a symptom back to its origins using free association. After her treatment and several subsequent hospitalizations, Pappenheim went on to become a pioneer of German-Jewish social work, a leading feminist, campaigner for women’s rights, and protector of unwed mothers and orphans. I have obtained multiple documents that reveal aspects of her life that have been unappreciated. She was cured not just by her psychoanalytic treatment, but also by realizing her intellectual gifts via her writing and by changing the society that was making her ill. In these ways, she resembled Harry Stack Sullivan, the founder of interpersonal psychoanalysis. Both faced a major crisis in late adolescence and went on to create environments that insulated victims of prejudice and allowed them to flourish.