Psychoanalytic Theory

• psychoanalytical

• developmental

• interpersonal

• behavioral

what are the therapeutic models

psychoanalytic theory

this theory supports the notion that all human behavior is caused and can be explained

psychoanalytic theory

the goal of this theory is to resolve conflicts from the past, change of character, promote insight, strengthen the ego

Id, ego, superego

what are the 3 personality components

Id

• Primitive features that are driven by an unconscious need for pleasure (pleasure principle)

• Present at birth

• Displays itself as selfish and demands gratification

Ego

• Develops around the age of 2 and focuses on the reality principle

• It reduces the conflict between Id and Superego by implementing defense mechanisms

Superego

• Develops around the age of 5

• It’s our internal morals (morality principle) that we learn from our same-sex parent, that punishes our ego for any wrong through guilt

Id

“I want it now”

Ego

“We need to plan and wait in order to have it”

Superego

“You can’t have it, it’s not right”

maladaptive personality

what happens if there is imbalance between the elements (id, ego, superego)

impulsive, uncontrollable, criminals

dominant id:

extremely moralistic and possibly judgmental

dominant superego:

tied to reality, rules, and appropriateness

dominant ego:

Conscious

ideas, thoughts, and feelings of which we are aware

Preconscious

material that can be easily recalled

Unconscious

well below the surface of awareness

ego

self, reality principle

superego

ego ideal

moral guardian

Id

pleasure principle

unconscious urges and desires

ego defense mechanism

freud believed the self, or ego uses these methods of attempting to protect the self and cope with basic drives or emotionally painful thoughts, feelings, or events

dissociation

one of the most powerful defense mechanisms. It enters escapism - mentally separating self from the body (depersonalization) or environment (derealization)

depersonalization

mentally separating self from the body

derealization

mentally separating self from environment

repression

excluding emotional painful or anxiety provoking thoughts and feelings from conscious awareness

suppression

conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts and feelings from consciousness awareness

undoing

exhibiting acceptable behavior to make up for or negate unacceptable behavior

compensation

overachievement in one area to offset real or perceived deficiencies in another area

conversion

expression of an emotional conflict through the development of physical symptoms, usually sensorimotor in nature

denial

failure to acknowledge an unbearable condition; failure to admit the reality of the situation of how one enables the problem to continue

displacement

ventilation of intense feeling toward persons less threatening than the one who aroused those feelings

substitution

replacing the desired gratification with one that is more readily available

sublimation

substituting a socially acceptable activity for an impulse that is unacceptable

resistance

overt or covert antagonism toward remembering or processing anxiety producing behavior

regression

moving back to previous developmental stage to feel safe or have needs met

reaction formation

acting opposite of what one thinks or feels

rationalization

excusing own behavior to avoid guilt, responsibility, conflict, anxiety or loss of self respect

projection

unconscious blaming of unacceptable inclinations or thoughts on an external objects

introjection

accepting another person’s attitudes, beliefs, and valuses as his own

identification

modelling actions and opinions of influential others while searching for identity or aspiring to reach a personal, social or occupational goal

intellectualization

separation of the emotion of a painful event or situation from the facts involves; acknowledging the facts and both the emotions

fixation

immobilization of a portion of the personality resulting from unsuccessful completion of tasks in a developmental stage

transference

when the client displaces onto the therapist attitudes and feelings that the client originally experienced in other relationships

countertransference

• when the therapist displaces onto the client attitudes or feelings from his or her past

• nurse can deal with this by examining their own feelings and responses, using self-awareness and talking with the colleagues