Gradually, 3 Freud had the idea that in every patient there is a certain force that resists treatment, that preserves hidden thoughts. There is only one goal - protection The task of the psychotherapist, as Freud believed, is precisely to overcome resistance. Over time, resistance was classified as one of the forces that cause repression and became the cornerstone psychoanalytic theory.
The second most important "obstacle" on the way to the unconscious, according to Freud, is the transfer effect. In this connection, Freud emphasized that "transference, which seems to be prescribed to be the greatest hindrance to psychoanalysis, becomes its most powerful ally, if every time its presence can be determined and explained to the patient" The effectiveness of the method of free association depends to a large extent on special regard usually established between the patient and the doctor. These relationships are based on the phenomenon of transference (transfer). The mechanism of this phenomenon is that the patient subconsciously identifies the doctor with the objects of his pregenital sexual attraction. In other words, the patient “transfers” the properties of the father and mother to the doctor, with all the circumstances
“The transference consists in experiencing the emotions of motives, relations of fantasies and defenses in relation to a certain person in the present, which are not adequate in relation to it, since they are a repetition of the displacement of the reaction formed in relation to significant persons at an early age The patient's susceptibility to transference reactions comes from his state of instinctive dissatisfaction and the resulting need to look for possible discharges" (Freud. 1912)
A distinction is made between positive and negative transference. Positive transference is manifested by a feeling of sympathy, respect, love for the analyst, negative - in the form of antipathy, anger, hatred, contempt, etc.
Freud also used the term transference neurosis - "the totality of the transference reaction in which analysis and analyst become the center emotional life patient and the patient's neurotic conflict comes alive again in the analytic situation" (Freud 1905)
Transference neurosis is, on the one hand, a sign of the success of analytic therapy and, on the other hand, may be the cause of its failure. The transference neurosis serves as a transition from illness to recovery. Psychoanalytic technique is aimed at that. in order to maximize the development of transference neurosis, and then use it for therapeutic purposes. Here, such techniques of psychoanalysis as the relative anonymity of the analyst, his unobtrusiveness, the "rule of abstinence" and the "mirror analyst" are used
Transference neurosis can only be cured analytically, other treatments can only change its form.
Psychoanalysis claims that the cause of neurosis is a neurotic conflict between the "Id" and the Ego.
Neurotic conflict is an unconscious conflict between the urge - the id - striving for relaxation and the protection - the ego. impeding discharge or not allowing it to reach consciousness The conflict leads to an increase in instinctive impulses, as a result of which the Ego may be suppressed. In this case, involuntary “discharges” are possible, which manifest themselves as symptoms of neurosis
External psycho-traumatic factors also play an important role in the formation of neuroses, but, according to psychoanalysts, at a certain stage they come down to an internal neurotic conflict between the "Id" and the Ego.
The super-ego in a neurotic conflict can take the side of the ego or the side of the id. It is the super-ego that makes the ego feel guilty even for symbolic and distorted instinctive activity.
The pathogenic effect of neurotic conflict lies mainly in the need for the ego to constantly expend energy in order to prevent unacceptable instinctual urges to consciousness and motor activity. This leads to the eventual exhaustion of the ego. As a result, instinctive urges break through into consciousness and behavior in the form of neurotic symptoms.
It should be noted that the Ego in the fight against forbidden and dangerous impulses of the "Id" constantly resorts to various protective mechanisms. But various kinds of "protection" can be effective only if the periodic discharge of instinctive tensions is ensured.
The patient is asked, according to his abilities, to try to recall some thoughts and, without any logic or order, express them to the doctor. The patient is explained that he must say even such things that seem to him trivial, shameful unexpected, etc. Such a process free association facilitates the identification of derivatives of the unconscious. The task of the therapist is to analyze these derivatives and convey their true meaning to the patient.
Despite the fact that a patient with a neurosis begins treatment consciously with a desire to be cured, there are forces that "protect" the neurosis and prevent treatment - the forces of resistance. The origins of resistance lie in defensive forces Egos that form neurotic conflict. In the process of treatment, the patient "works" the same protective mechanisms as in Everyday life. Since resistance is nothing but a manifestation of the protective and distorted functions of the Ego, it is this resistance that must be analyzed first of all. It is no exaggeration to say that resistance analysis is the cornerstone of psychoanalytic technique.
Psychoanalysts believe that a patient with a neurosis unconsciously seeks objects to which he could transfer his libidinal and aggressive impulses. Transfer in the understanding of psychoanalysts is a liberation from the past, or rather an erroneous understanding of the present through the past. A competent analysis of transference reactions helps the patient to correctly understand the past and present, accept the therapist's point of view and understand the origins of his neurotic reactions.
Resistance analysis. Resistance in the understanding of psychoanalysts. it is the patient's internal forces that are in opposition to the psychoanalytic work and protect the neurosis from therapeutic influence. In form, resistance is a repetition of the same defensive reactions that the patient used in his daily life. Resistance operates through the patient's ego, and. although some aspects of the resistance may be conscious, a large part of them remain unconscious.
The task of the psychoanalyst is to uncover how the patient resists, what and why. immediate cause resistances are the unconscious avoidance of such painful phenomena as anxiety, guilt, shame, etc. Behind these universal reactions in response to the intrusion into the patient's inner world are usually instinctive urges that cause a painful effect.
There are ego-syntonic resistances and resistances alien to the ego. In the first case, the patient usually denies the very existence of resistance to his analysis; in the second, the patient feels that the resistance is alien to him and is ready to work on it analytically.
One of milestones psychoanalysis is the translation of resistance from the ego-syntonic e resistance, alien to the ego. Once this is achieved, the patient forms a working alliance with the analyst and becomes ready to work on his resistance.
A manifestation of resistance can be the patient's silence, his posture, affects (anger, stubbornness, shame, etc.), avoidance of topics, skipping sessions, the statement that he "does not have dreams" or "there are topics that I do not want to talk about."
Resistance can be conscious, preconscious, or unconscious.
The technical procedures of analysis are confrontation, clarification, interpretation, and careful elaboration.
To interpret means to make subconscious and preconscious mental events conscious. This means that reasonable and conscious ego realizes what has been forgotten.
For interpretation, the therapist uses both the information received from the patient and his intellect, his empathy, intuition, his theoretical baggage.
In interpreting the material of the patient, the analyst sets himself the following main goals:
To translate the patient's products into their unconscious content, that is, to establish a connection between the thoughts, fantasies, feelings, and behavior of the patient with their unconscious "ancestors";
The unconscious elements must be transformed into understanding into their true meaning;
“As insights are gained, they must be communicated to the patient.
The resistance analysis technique consists of the following basic procedures:
1 The process of awareness of resistance.
2 Demonstration of the fact of resistance to the patient
Let the resistance become demonstrative
Contribute to increased resistance
3 Clarifying the motives and forms of resistance
Find out what specific painful affect makes the patient resist;
What specific instinctive impulse is the cause of the morbid affect at the moment of analysis;
What specific form and method does the patient use to express their resistance.
4 Interpretation of resistance:
Find out what fantasies or memories are causing the affects and urges behind the resistance;
Explain the origins and unconscious objects of the identified affects of the urge or event.
5 Interpretation of the form of resistance:
Explain this and similar forms of activity during analysis and outside of analysis;
Follow the history and unconscious goals of this activity in the patient's present and past.
An experienced analyst knows that only a small part of the analysis can be done in one session. Most of sessions ends with just a vague realization that some kind of resistance is "working", and all the analyst can do in such cases is to point out to the patient that he is hiding something or avoiding some topic. When possible, the analyst tries to explore these phenomena. At the same time, the diligence of the analyst himself should play a secondary role in the investigation and disclosure of unconscious phenomena. It is important not to rush into interpretation, as this may either injure the patient or lead to an intellectual rivalry between the patient and the analyst. In any case, this will increase the resistance. It is necessary to allow the patient to feel his resistance, and only then move on to interpreting it.
The patient needs to be explained that resistance is his own activities that it is an action that he carries out unconsciously, preconsciously or consciously, that the resistance is not (another or weakness of the patient and that the analysis of the resistance is main part psychoanalytic treatment. Only when the patient himself determines that he is resisting, answers the question why and what he is resisting, is it possible to cooperate with him only then the necessary for qualitative analysis working alliance.
The basic rule of the interpretation technique is the following: analysis should proceed from resistance to content, from the conscious to the unconscious, from the “surface” to deep understanding.
Transfer analysis. Transfer is special type relations between the patient and the analyst, which are based on feelings not for the analyst, but for some person from the past “Transfer,” wrote Freud, “is repetition, a new “edition” of old objective relations(Freud, 1905). Transference is a largely unconscious phenomenon. It can be made up of any component of feeling urge, fear, fantasy, attitude, and the like.
Transference reactions are observed in all people in everyday life, the analytic situation only contributes to the development of these reactions and uses them for therapeutic purposes.
Most typical characteristics transference reactions are irrelevance, ambivalence, inconstancy of intensity, and persistence.
The irrelevance of the reaction in specific situation is a sign that the person who causes this reaction (in this case analyst) is not a true object, and the reaction itself refers to some object of significance to the patient from his past. Very often the patient falls in love with the analyst. The analyst then needs to explore the possible mechanisms behind this typical transference reaction: Did the patient fall in love to please you? Has he fallen in love with someone who looks like you?" Is his falling in love a sign of maturity? Is this reaction a way out of a difficult life situation?
All transference reactions are characterized by ambivalence - the coexistence of opposite feelings. Usually both love for the analyst and hatred for him, and sexual attraction, and disgust coexist.
Transfer reactions are usually unstable and unstable. Glover (1955) spoke of "floating" transference reactions, but sometimes they are, on the contrary, persistent and last for several years.
3. Freud, in his work On Hysteria, emphasized that if the analyst encounters a transference reaction, then he must firstly become aware of this phenomenon, secondly, demonstrate it to the patient and, thirdly, try to trace its origin.
The transference reaction is a relationship involving the three subjects of an object from the past and an object from the present. In a psychoanalytic situation, this is a patient, some significant person from the past and analyst.
According to Freud, transference and resistance are related to each other (hence the term transference resistance). Transference phenomena are essentially resistance to remembering. Resistance analysis is a daily job in analytic practice, with more time spent on analysis of transference resistance than on any other aspect of the work.
Freud coined and used the term transference neurosis in double understanding. On the one hand, to designate a group of neuroses characterized by the patient's ability to form and maintain a relatively consistent and acceptable from the point of view of the ego, a group of transferences. On the other hand - to describe the transfer reactions themselves, subjected to analysis.
The transference neurosis incorporates all the features of the patient's illness, but it is an artificial illness that lends itself well to psychoanalytic intervention. In transference neurosis, the patient repeats his past neurotic symptoms, and the analyst is able to actively influence them.
The classical psychoanalytic position towards transference neurosis is to promote it. maximum development. Experiencing the regressed past with the analyst is the most effective way to overcome neurotic defenses and resistances.
Freud divided transference into positive and negative.
In positive transference, the patient feels for the analyst such feelings as love, tenderness, trust, sympathy, interest, infatuation, admiration, reverence, and so on. Love is most common, especially if the analyst and the patient are of the opposite sex.
Thus, a patient who is in love with her analyst creates various problems that hinder psychoanalysis. First, her main goal is the satisfaction of her desires, and she resists analytical work on these emotions. Secondly, the ardent love of a female patient can evoke feelings of countertransference in a male analyst Freud gave unmistakable clear advice about such a situation (There can be no compromise here. unanalyzable This does not mean that the analyst should behave insensitively and heartlessly. The analyst can be tactful and sensitive towards the patient and her condition, and at the same time continue with his task of analyzing” (Freud, 1915)
Negative transference can manifest itself in hatred, anger, hostility, mistrust, antipathy, indignation, bitterness, dislike, contempt, irritation, etc. Negative transference evokes stronger resistance than positive transference. positive
The form of transference largely depends on the behavior of the analyst. For example, analysts who behave toward patients with constant warmth and sensitivity will find that their patients tend to respond with a sustained positive transference. At the same time, these patients will have difficulty developing a negative, hostile transference. Such patients can quickly form a working alliance, but it will be narrow and limited and prevent the transference from expanding beyond the early positive form. On the other hand, analysts who tend to be aloof and rigid will often find that their patients rapidly and steadily form only negative reactions transfer
Naturally, the relationship between patient and analyst can never be equal. The patient is required to sincerely express his innermost emotions, impulses of fantasy and the analyst must remain a relatively anonymous figure. In other words, the analytic procedure is a painful, humiliating and one-sided experience for the patient. And if we want the patient to cooperated with us, we must explain to him the technique of analysis, our "toolkit".
The analyst needs to feel a certain closeness to the patient in order to be able to empathize, yet he must be able to step back in order to understand the patient's material in detail. there is an area of the patient's life where he could not be admitted but this intimacy should not lead to Familiarity.
We have already said that transference and resistance are coupled with each other. Some transfer reactions cause resistance, others appear as resistance, and others serve as resistance against other forms of transference.
The technique of transference analysis is the same as that of resistance analysis. Sometimes the analyst's silence is enough to make the transference reaction demonstratively visible. In other cases, confrontation helps the patient to become aware of the transference. ) tries to avoid the goal of all these techniques- demonstrating to the patient that something has a transference reaction. Next, the analyst will allow the transference reaction to develop until it reaches the optimal level of intensity. It is important to catch the moment when the transference is the maximum impulse for the patient, but not the trauma. the transference reaction was convincing to the patient Premature interpretation almost always leads to increased resistance and is fraught with the danger intellectual game
The first stage of transfer analysis is the identification (identification) There are different kinds identification partial and general temporary and permanent ego-syntonic and ego-dystonic.
Identification can be stimulated artificially at first. When the analyst analyzes the material, he asks the patient to temporarily abandon his experiencing free-associating ego and observe with him. what he (the patient) is now experiencing In other words, the analyst asks the patient to temporarily and partially identify with him. At first, the patient does this only when the analyst asks him to do so, but later this state becomes automatic, preconscious. In this case, the patient himself realizes that he is doing something resists and asks himself "What and why?" This is an indicator of partial and temporary identification with the analyst which promotes a working alliance. When this happens, they say "Patient in analysis"
Often the identification remains after analysis. In positive transference, patients often adopt the analyst's mannerisms, traits, and habits.
The next step in the analysis of the transfer reaction is to clarify it. This is the search for unconscious sources transference Here the affective reactions of the repetition of the fantasy of the dream are important, the symbolisms in the patient's associations, etc.
The decisive stage of psychoanalytic technique is interpretation In the understanding of analysts, to interpret means to make an unconscious mental phenomenon conscious process this is lengthy and is not limited to one or two sessions. Through demonstration and clarification, the analyst tries to enable the patient's ego to become aware of psychological situation which is subconscious and unacceptable. "An interpretation is a hypothesis that requires the patient's responses to be verified" (Naelder, 1960) Clarification leads to interpretation, and interpretation in turn leads to further clarifications
There are many techniques for looking for unconscious sources of transference. Three of the most common are:
Tracking linked affects and impulses
Tracking objects (shapes) preceding the transfer
An exploration of transference fantasies.
The most effective technique is to track linked affects and impulses. In this case, we usually ask the patient the question “When and in connection with what did you have this feeling or impulse?” And then, listening to the answers, we gradually try to find the true source of these affects and motivation. At the second appointment, we ask the question “In relation to whom did you feel this way in the past?” And again begins the painstaking search for the source
Clinical experience shows that no interpretation, even if it is absolutely correct, gives the proper and lasting effect without its repeated study in order to come to full understanding and sustained changes in the patient's behavior require careful development of individual interpretations. This process is the iteration and development of the insights obtained as a result of the interpretation.
Common Mistakes in the technique of transfer analysis.
Non-recognition of the transference reaction (sexual attraction - love masked by irritability by hostility)
Countertransference reactions not realized by the analyst
Misinterpretation of material:
Insufficient elaboration of interpretations
Ignorance of the tradition, the foundations of the patient's culture, the discrepancy between the cultures of the patient and the analyst.
Internal resistance is when you know what you need to do in order to achieve a result, but inner voice whispers endless reasons: why not now, not this, not with that, etc. By trying to outsmart ourselves, we waste time and gain guilt for "wasting years." You might think that this is what ordinary laziness looks like and you just need to pull yourself together. But laziness is when you do not want to do any business, you are immediately ready to do anything, but not what you need. Not everyone can overcome the fear of a "white sheet", as the writers say.
Usually resistance is overcome by a reward, a premonition of happiness from what has been done.
A presentiment of happiness, a reward gives motivation to overcome difficulties, look for solutions, spend time, money. When the reward or benefit is worthwhile, the person acts with enthusiasm and fire. It is in our nature. Remember how a baby learns to walk. He falls and gets up, he gets angry, he screams, but he still tries until he is exhausted. But having barely rested, he continues to make more and more attempts to get to his mother, to the toy, etc. with renewed vigor. The reward that awaits him for perseverance is great, and enthusiasm does not fade.
When the reward for the child is not obvious or abstract, or delayed in time, the enthusiasm to overcome difficulties fades. This is easy to imagine, remembering the torment in preparing homework. Remember the joke: "Mom was hoarse, dad was deaf, the neighbors learned the verse by heart." And it doesn’t matter whether you are a child or a parent: if the reward is unclear, these will be “torn years”.
If a parent does not understand that the independence of the child is a reward worth fighting for, it will be difficult for him to endure and wait until the child learns to do his homework on his own. Shouting, urging, doing homework for a child is easier than encouraging a kid, reinforcing success with praise, enduring and waiting.
The nature of desire in an adult is no different from a child: we also need a reward that will encourage us to overcome all obstacles on the way to it.
Why do we sabotage the fulfillment of some desires, although the reward is obvious? Why internal resistance wins?
As you know, our psyche consists of a conscious and unconscious part. The unconscious stores everything that we are not yet ready to realize in our lives. We desire something, perhaps even do, enjoy, but we are not ready to admit our unwillingness to realize our desires, and the conscious part of our psyche carefully selects the arguments with which we explain to ourselves all the discrepancies with reality. Moreover, these arguments may even be illogical, but if they are in any way similar to the truth, we perceive them as true and have no doubt that this is the case. This is our psychological defense that protects us from facing a reality we don't want to see.
Sabotage and resistance arises when the benefit from sabotage more than doing. Benefit is a pleasure that we cannot refuse. If it's better for us not to know English language, we will sabotage his study, and no courses will help. We have hidden benefit from the failure to perform, it would seem, such an important matter. But we do not realize this benefit, for some reason we hide it from ourselves, it is not profitable for us to see it, we are not ready to give up the pleasure that it brings us.
But the longer the benefit remains hidden, the more likely it is to turn into a neurosis. Next to desire is always the anxiety that the reward will not be received. Accordingly, where there is a hidden benefit, there is a hidden anxiety - this is fertile ground for neurosis, health problems, relationships, work, etc. Everything hidden strives to be revealed, even if we resist.
In order to discover and realize their hidden benefits, a person needs another person who can see and show these hidden benefits.
Psychological defenses are so strong that in our inner world we do not doubt that we are right. If a person knows that he is handsome, then he is handsome, if he decides that he is ugly, then he is sure that he is ugly. But this is his Subjective opinion, formed under a certain influence, in reality, everything can be different. We need another person (an agent of reality) who can show the client his delusions or correctness.
Having discovered and realized his hidden benefit, a person understands why his hands do not reach important matters. He understands what his pleasure is from the hidden benefit, and can decide whether to refuse it to him and go ahead or continue to act in the old way, but no longer experiencing pangs of conscience, but understanding his choice. He loses the hidden anxiety that tormented him, taking energy away. Now he's ready to do conscious choice rather than playing cat and mouse with yourself.
We must admit that we all strive for pleasure, and we can refuse it only in exchange for the promise of even greater pleasure. The reward looming ahead forces us to abandon old gains and move forward towards new goals.
Shiryaev Igor and Larisa
What is psychological resistance? These are all the forces in the psyche of a person (client) that counteract an unpleasant situation or psychological help, because it is associated with the inevitability of painful sensations (psychological pain).
Why do we need psychological protection?
We have already mentioned above that protection, including psychological, protects any person from the past (psychotrauma, memories); or actual (immediately occurring situation) or future (hypothetical fears and experiences) psychological pain. Nature has created these defenses for ... quick psychological self-help (approximately as a response to an illness or injury in the body). However, only a response to diseases and physical injuries of the body cannot cope, no matter how much you strengthen it and do not increase immunity. Therefore, doctors, medicines, surgical interventions, physiotherapy, sanatorium treatment and so on are needed. With the psyche, everything is almost the same - psychological defenses ONLY PROTECT, but do not “cure”, i.e. They don't solve the problem, it stays with you. Therefore, relying on “psychological immunity, psychological resistance” and being stable and enduring from this to the psychological ups and downs of one’s life, alas, is not enough. After all, it is psychological defenses that make a person ordinary life strange, inadequate, notorious, etc. They defended something, but for normal life unsuitable. It's like walking everywhere in armor - to work, to rest, to friends, and to sleep in armor and eat in armor and take a shower in armor, and so on. They will interfere with you, and cause bewilderment among others (this is in an easy case).
So in what cases do psychological defenses and resistances manifest themselves?
past psychological trauma(stress)
Fear of any failure
Fear of any change
Desire to meet their childhood needs (infantilism)
Secondary benefit from your illness or condition
Too "hard" consciousness, when it punishes a person with incessant neurotic suffering
Unwillingness to change "convenient" social position to “inconvenient” - to be active, work on yourself, be sexy, be socially adaptive, earn more, change partners, and so on.
What are the consequences of psychological defenses if the psychological problem is not solved?
First, the adaptability of behavior is lost, i.e. the person behaves inappropriately to the situation. Communicates worse. Limits his lifestyle or it becomes very specific.
Further disadaptation grows. Psychosomatic illnesses (diseases caused by emotional trauma) may occur. growing internal stress, anxiety. The "script" of life begins to obey psychological protection from heartache: a certain kind hobbies, hobbies, profession.
Lifestyle becomes a form of "painless psychotherapy". Protective lifestyle becomes the most important, thus. there is a constant denial of problems and aggravation of maladaptation and psychosomatics.
What are psychological defenses?
Sewerage of aggression on other people (in verbal (verbal) or behavioral form) - speaks of a hidden feeling of guilt.
Repression - pushing painful memories and feelings, impulses out of consciousness. A person simply “forgot”, “didn’t have time”, “didn’t do it”.
Denial - intentionally ignoring painful realities and acting as if they do not exist: "didn't notice", "didn't hear", "didn't see", etc. obvious stimuli, signals. (Scarlett (Gone with the Wind): "I'll think about it tomorrow").
Formation of a reaction (with neurosis obsessive states(obsessive-compulsive neurosis) - an exaggeration of one emotional aspect situations in order to suppress the opposite emotion with it. For example, to be extremely unctual, but in fact the desire to be free over time.
Transfer (transfer, movement) - a change in the object of feelings (transfer from the real, but subjectively dangerous object to subjectively safe). An aggressive reaction to the boss is transferred from the boss, who cannot be punished due to a number of psychological and other reasons, to the dog as a weaker creature (the Japanese used this psychic protection in the invention of puppets for fighting, replacing the boss); or transferring love or aggression to the therapist, instead of expressing these emotions to the real object that caused these feelings.
The opposite feeling - a change in impulse, its transformation from active to passive (and vice versa) - or a change in its direction (to oneself from another, or to another from oneself), for example, sadism - can turn into masochism, or masochism - into sadism.
Suppression (phobias) - restriction of thoughts or actions in order to avoid those that can cause anxiety, fears. This psychic protection gives rise to various personal rituals (an amulet for an exam, certain clothes for self-confidence, etc.).
Identification with the aggressor (imitation) is an imitation of what is understood as the aggressive manner of an external authority. Criticism by children of their parents in their own aggressive manner. Imitating the behavior of your boss at home with your family.
Asceticism is the denial of pleasure to oneself with the appearance of one's own superiority.
Intellectualization, rationalization (obsessive-compulsive neurosis) - excessive reasoning as a way of experiencing conflicts, a long discussion (without experiencing the affect associated with the conflict), a “rational” explanation of the causes of what happened, in fact, having nothing to do with a rational explanation.
Isolation of affect (obsessive-compulsive neurosis) - the suppression of feelings associated with a particular thought.
regression - return to early age(crying, helplessness, smoking, alcohol and other infantile reactions)
Sublimation is the transfer of one type of energy into another: sex - into creativity; aggression into political activity.
Splitting - the separation of positive and negative in the images of "I" and objects. A sharp change in “+” and “-” assessments of oneself and others is an unrealistic and unstable assessment. "+" and "-" coexist separately, but in parallel. For example, then a psychotherapist "+", then suddenly "-" and so on about any significant person.
Devaluation is the reduction of the important to a minimum and contemptuous denial of it.
Primitive idealization is an exaggeration of the power and prestige of another person.
Omnipotence is an exaggeration own strength.
Projection - endowing one's own conflicting or any other of one's impulses with another person.
Projective identification is a projection onto some person, over whom the person then tries to establish control. Projecting one's hostility onto others and expecting the same from them.
Repression is the suppression of desires.
Escapism is the avoidance of the purpose of the situation. This can be expressed literally, i.e. behaviorally, a person can physically run away from a situation (from communication, from a meeting), or can indirectly avoid specific topics conversation.
Autism is a deep withdrawal into oneself (out of the "game of life").
Reaction formation is the replacement of a behavior or feeling with an opposite behavior or feeling as a reaction to severe stress.
Introjection is the uncritical assimilation of other people's beliefs and attitudes.
Fanaticism is an imaginary fusion of the desired and the real.
This is far from full list of all psychological defenses, but these are the most striking and widespread reactions. In any case, these reactions do not free the person from psychological problem, but only temporarily protect, give the opportunity to "psychologically survive" in critical situation.
RESISTANCE - according to Freud - the force and process that produces repression and maintains it by counteracting the transition of ideas and symptoms from the unconscious into consciousness.
Resistance is a sure sign of conflict and comes from the same higher layers and systems of the psyche, which at one time produced the repression.
Resistance can only be an expression of the ego, which at one time produced repression and now wants to preserve it.
There are five main varieties of resistance emanating from three sides - I, Id and Super-I:
1. resistance to displacement - from I;
2. resistance from transference - from I;
3. resistance from the benefit of the disease - from the I;
4. resistance from It;
5. resistance from the Superego.
Resistance appears during analysis. It includes all those forces of the patient which oppose the procedures and processes of psychoanalysis, that is, interfere with the patient's free association, his attempts to remember, reach and receive insight, which act against the patient's rational self and his desire for change. Resistance can be conscious or unconscious, and can be expressed in the form of emotions, attitudes, ideas, impulses, thoughts, fantasies, or actions.
Resistance is an operational concept; analysis does not create anything new here, the analytic situation becomes an arena in which the forces of resistance manifest themselves. During the course of analysis of the forces of resistance, all the mechanisms, forms, methods, methods and constellations of defenses that I use during outer life patient. Just like defense mechanisms, resistance operates through the Self; although their sources, according to Freud, can come from any mental structure - It, I, Superego, but the perception of danger is a function of I. In the process of analysis, the form and type of resistance changes - there is regression and progress, the patient's behavior changes in accordance with fixation points; in general, all defense mechanisms of the ego can be used for the purpose of resistance. For the purposes of resistance, more complex phenomena are also used, such as transference resistances, character resistances, covering defenses.
The analyst must distinguish: what the patient resists, how he does it, what he averts, why he does it. Resistances in the process of analysis appear as some form of opposition to the procedures and processes that are being analyzed. Resistance analysis is extremely important both for diagnosis, since patients belonging to one or another diagnostic group will use specific types of protection for this group, and, accordingly, resistances, and for all analytical work.
Z. Freud's ideas about displacement formed the basis of psychoanalysis. crowding out consists in the unconsciously motivated forgetting or avoiding awareness of inner urges and outer events that represent, or simply allude to, temptations, unfulfillable and frightening desires, and punishments for forbidden pleasures. Information is blocked to prevent its impact and to avoid suffering from awareness. Nevertheless, although the repressed is not experienced in conscious level, it retains its effectiveness and continues to influence from an unconscious level.
Repression is basic defense mechanism human psyche, classified as a "higher order" defense.
From a developmental point of view, repression can be seen as a means by which the child copes with developmentally normal but unrealizable and frightening desires. He gradually learns to send these desires to the unconscious.
The pattern of non-clinical repression action is most illustrative in the case of simple forgetting names or intentions - what Freud called part of the "psychopathology of everyday life." In psychoanalysis, it is found that a name or intention is forgotten if it is associated with a repressed motive, usually due to its association with an unacceptable instinctive need.
Conflicts arise when events occur that relate to material that has been repressed in the past. If the attempt of the repressed material to find a discharge in the form of derivatives (derivatives) fails, there arises a desire to repress any event associated with the initially repressed material. This process is called "secondary displacement". One gets the impression that what is repressed is like magnetic force, attracts everything, at least somehow connected with it, in order to also subject it to repression.
Repression can appear in two ways:
- "voids", i.e. lack of certain ideas, feelings, relationships that would represent adequate response on reality (secondary repression);
The obsessive nature of commitment to certain ideas, feelings and attitudes, which are derivatives. 10. The concept of attraction. Types of attraction.
attraction is a dynamic process in which some pressure (energy charge, driving force) pushes the organism towards some goal. According to Freud, the source of attraction is bodily excitement (a state of tension); this goal is achieved in the object of attraction or due to this object.
Freud used and clearly distinguished between two various terms- instinct and attraction. Speaking of instinct, he had in mind the biologically inherited behavior of animals, characteristic of the species as a whole, unfolding according to predetermined patterns and adapted to the object. Under the attraction - "mental representation of a continuous somatic source of irritation inside."
In the light of generalizations, Freud's psychoanalytic understanding of drives boiled down to the following: a) drive is different from irritation: it comes from a source of irritation within the body and acts as constant force; b) in attraction, one can distinguish between the source, object and goal (the source of attraction is the state of excitation in the body, the goal is the elimination of this excitation), the attraction becomes mentally effective on the way from the source to the goal; c) a mentally effective attraction has a certain amount of energy (libido); d) the relation of attraction to the goal and object allows for change: they can be replaced by other goals and objects, including socially acceptable ones (sublimation); e) one can distinguish between drives that are delayed on the way to the goal and those that are delayed on the way to satisfaction; f) there is a difference between drives that serve the sexual function and drives for self-preservation (hunger, thirst), sexual drives are characterized by plasticity, substitutability, detachment, while drives for self-preservation are adamant and urgent.
The new position in psychoanalytic theory was reduced to the recognition of two types of drives: sexual, understood in broad sense(Eros), and aggressive, whose goal is destruction. Apart from the erotic component, the main drives are the life drive and the death drive.
Freud described three types inborn drives:
1. Drives of life (biological survival needs);
2. Sexual drives (also biological, but not directly related to survival;
3. Destructive drives (death drives).
The main motivational dominant of a person's life is the desire to maximize the satisfaction of innate drives and at the same time minimize the punishment (external and internal) for this satisfaction.
People, they are like "hedgehogs" - they also prick and snort, protecting themselves ...
Maria, 27 years old
There are always "two forces" in a person. On the one hand, the desire to solve one's psychological problem (even if it is not realized, nevertheless, the soul strives to solve it). And on the other hand, resistance to this solution to the problem (or resistance to psycho-correctional or psychotherapeutic assistance). The fact is that any solution to a problem is often accompanied by unpleasant or even painful emotional sensations. When a psychologist begins to help a person, he is forced to go deep into the soul. The soul hurts, but psychology has not yet come up with a simple and effective pain relief for the soul. At the initial stage, the work of a psychologist causes the client unpleasant emotions, traumatic memories, affects, feelings and impulses that were previously hidden in the unconscious, but in connection with psychological work begin to emerge in consciousness. Therefore, going to a psychologist for help is a courageous step. To make it unusual, painful, scary and often financially expensive. Only after a few sessions does the client experience an incomparable feeling of spiritual lightness, joy and comfort. This state is so delightful that those who have experienced it cease to be "afraid" to go to a psychologist.
Psychological assistance is always the work of two parties - the psychologist and the client. Miracles at a glance magic wand does not exist in psychology. Therefore, the client requires no less work on his problem than the psychologist. Only this work is different - attentiveness, competence, determination and work efficiency are required from the psychologist, and sincerity, diligence and accuracy of performance are required from the client. psychological techniques and instructions for independent work. WITHOUT THE WORK OF THE CLIENT THERE WILL BE NO RESULT FROM THE WORK OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST! True, the client does not require knowledge and skills, but only cooperation. But without this "miracle" will not happen even for the most "great" specialist. FORCING a client to change is impossible. It is only possible TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE CHANGES. The first difficulty on the way to liberation from the problem is overcoming the psychological resistances and defenses of the client (in his own interests). AT in general terms, psychological resistances and defenses are forces in the client's psyche that oppose the help of a psychologist and the solution of the client's psychological problems. In fact, the client is trying to avoid emotional pain because the pain will be "here and now", and the result of helping and solving the problem is "it is not known when and then." A client who has overcome pain and fear in his soul receives a well-deserved reward: he begins to respect himself and takes the first step towards the joy of life.
So, psychological protection protects any person from psychological pain. The cause of the pain may be in the past, for example, trauma, hard memories, bitterness of loss. The reason may lie in the present: the immediate situation outside and the actual processes inside the human psyche. The reason may be related to the future, for example, expectations of the bad, hypothetical fears, worries about possible events and consequences. Nature created these defenses for quick psychological self-help (approximately as a response to physical pain, disease or injury in the body). However, psychological defenses ONLY PROTECT, BUT DO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND DO NOT GIVE HELP, THEY HELP YOU KEEP UP UNTIL HELP COME. If you leave protection to a person, but do not give help for a long time, then he becomes strange, inadequate, notorious, etc. Because the defenses did their job: they protected from psychological pain in a difficult situation, but they did not create psychological comfort and they are not fit to live in a prosperous situation. It's the same as going everywhere "in armor": to work, to rest, to friends, and to sleep in armor, and eat in armor, and take a shower in armor, etc. It is uncomfortable for oneself, it is strange for others, it enslaves and makes one not free. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: IT DOES NOT CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER. YOU JUST HAVE ADJUSTED.
Typical cases, after which psychological defenses and resistances appear.
1. Past psychological trauma (for example, severe stress).
2. Unpleasant memories (for example, grief from loss).
3. Fear of any failure (fear of possible failure).
4. Fear of any change (inflexibility to adapt to the new).
5. The desire to satisfy their children's needs (psychological infantilism in adults).
6. Secondary psychological benefit from one's illness or condition (despite the obvious harm).
7. Too strict "hard" consciousness, when it punishes a person with incessant suffering for real and imaginary offenses (as a rule, the result of upbringing).
8. Unwillingness to change a "convenient" social position to an "uncomfortable" one - to be active, work on oneself, be sexy, be socially adaptive, earn more, change partners, and so on.
9. Enhanced Level psychological sensitivity, anxiety and neuroticism (may be a consequence of weak type nervous system).
In these and many other cases, a person becomes acutely sensitive to psychological pain and builds ingenious defenses to avoid psychological pain. It just doesn't solve the problem. A person lives "in armor", often in grief for himself and for the amusement of others. A good psychologist helps to remove these “armours” of psychological defenses as quickly and safely as possible. Final goal- learn to live and enjoy a free life without "armor", but to maintain their security.
What are the consequences of psychological defenses if the psychological problem is not solved?
1. First, the adaptability of behavior is lost, i.e. the person behaves inappropriately to the situation. Communicates worse. Limits his lifestyle or he becomes very specific, strange.
2. Further disadaptation increases. Psychosomatic illnesses (diseases caused by emotional trauma) may occur. Increases internal tension, anxiety. The "script" of life begins to obey psychological protection from mental pain: a certain type of hobby, hobbies, profession.
3. Lifestyle becomes a form of "painless self-psychotherapy". A protective lifestyle becomes extremely important for a person. Thus, there is a constant denial of problems and aggravation of maladaptation and psychosomatic diseases.
What are psychological defenses?
1. Sewerage of aggression on other people (in verbal (verbal) or behavioral form). Throwing off aggression on other people can be not only " bad habit" and "pedagogical neglect" in an adult, but also paradoxically testify to hidden insecurity and a hidden sense of guilt.
2. Repression - pushing painful memories and feelings out of consciousness, impulses deep into the unconscious. A person simply "forgot", "did not have time", "did not do it". So sometimes some raped women sincerely “forget” about this incident after a few years.
3. Denial - deliberate ignoring of painful realities and such behavior as if they do not exist: "didn't notice", "didn't hear", "didn't see", "not urgent", "I'll put it off for later", etc. A person ignores the obvious reality and composes for himself an imaginary reality in which troubles do not exist. For example, the main character of the novel "Gone with the Wind" Scarlett said to herself: "I'll think about it tomorrow."
4. Formation of opposite reactions - exaggeration of one emotional aspect of the situation in order to suppress the opposite emotion with its help. For example, to be extremely punctual, but in fact the desire to be free over time. This happens, for example, with obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive-compulsive neurosis).
5. Transfer (transfer, movement) - a change in the object of feelings (transfer from a real, but subjectively dangerous object to a subjectively safe one). The aggressive reaction to the strong (for example, to the boss) is transferred from the strong, who cannot be punished, to the weak (for example, to a woman, child, dog, etc.). (The Japanese used this psychic protection in the invention of puppets to fight, replacing the boss). It is possible to transfer not only aggression, but also sexual attraction or even both sexual attraction and aggression. Typical example- the transfer of sexual attraction and aggression to the psychotherapist, instead of expressing these emotions to the real object that caused these feelings.
6. Reverse feeling - a change in impulse, its transformation from active to passive (and vice versa) - or a change in its direction (to oneself from another, or to another from oneself), for example, sadism - can turn into masochism, or masochism - into sadism.
7. Suppression (for example, with fears and phobias) - limiting thoughts or actions in order to avoid those that can cause anxiety, fears. This psychic protection gives rise to various personal rituals (an amulet for an exam, certain clothes for self-confidence, etc.).
8. Imitation (identification with the aggressor) - imitation of what is understood as an aggressive manner of external authority. Criticism by children of their parents in their own aggressive manner. Imitating the behavior of your boss at home with your family.
9. Asceticism - denying oneself pleasures with the appearance of one's own superiority.
10. Rationalization, (intellectualization) - excessive reasoning as a way of experiencing conflicts, a long discussion (without experiencing the affect associated with the conflict), a "rational" explanation of the causes of what happened, in fact, having nothing to do with rational explanation.
11. Isolation of affect - almost complete suppression of feelings associated with a particular thought.
12. Regression - psychological return to an early age (crying, helplessness, smoking, alcohol and other infantile reactions)
13. Sublimation - the transfer of one type of psychic energy into another: sex - into creativity; aggression - in political activity.
14. Splitting - inadequate separation of positive and negative in assessments of oneself and others, inner world and external situation. Often there is a sharp change of "+" and "-" assessments of oneself and others, assessments become unrealistic and unsteady. Often they are opposite, but exist in parallel. "On the one hand, of course... but on the other hand, no doubt..."
15. Devaluation - reducing the important to a minimum and contemptuous denial of it. For example, the denial of love.
16. Primitive idealization - exaggeration of the power and prestige of another person. This is how idols are created.
17. Omnipotence - an exaggeration of one's own strength. Bragging about your connections, influential acquaintances, etc.
18. Projection - endowing one's own psychological features another person. Attribution to another own desires, emotions, etc. For example: "Now anyone is ready to go over corpses for money and power!"
19. Projective identification - a projection onto another, over which the person then tries to establish control. For example, projecting one's hostility onto others and expecting the same from them.
20. Repression - suppression of desires (one's own or others').
21. Escapism - avoiding a painful situation. This can be expressed literally, i.e. Behaviorally, a person can physically run away from the situation (from communication, from a meeting), and can indirectly avoid certain topics of conversation.
22. Autism - deep withdrawal into oneself (exit from the "game of life").
23. Reactive formation - the replacement of behavior or feelings with the opposite behavior or feeling as a reaction to severe stress.
24. Introjection - uncritical assimilation of other people's beliefs and attitudes.
25. Fanaticism is an imaginary fusion of the desired and the real.
This is not a complete list of all psychological defenses, but these are the most striking and common reactions. In any case, these reactions do not free a person from a psychological problem, but only temporarily protect, give the opportunity to "psychologically survive" in a critical situation. If you have discovered these psychological defenses in yourself, your relatives or acquaintances, there is reason to think about how constructive the behavior is. this person. It is quite possible that, having put on the "armor" of psychological defenses, he deprives himself peace of mind and the joys of life. Most likely, attention, care and competence a good psychologist can help this person achieve the fulfillment of his innermost desires.
