First Love as a Traumatic Experience

This research on "First love as a traumatic event" is a study of the phenomenology of first love relationships and components of traumatic experience, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder during the end of the first love relationship. In the course of the research, a theoretical analysis of the scientific literature of domestic and foreign authors was performed to reveal the main concepts of the work, such as" first love"," trauma "and"post-traumatic stress disorder". Empirical research was performed in a phenomenological approach using the method of A. Giorgi. Respondents in this study were 15 young women aged 20-25 years with experience of completed first love relationships. The data analysis revealed a number of components that characterize the experience of first love relationships, such as" unconditional acceptance of the partner"," unconscious experience of love " and others. We have also identified components of the presence of traumatic experience and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Strategies for coping with stress during the end of the first love relationship are defined. Personality changes were identified, as well as post-traumatic growth as a result of the experience of first love relationships. The results of the analysis were interpreted in the context of Transactional analysis.