Psychodynamics Flashcards
libido phase
life force (includes sexual and aggressive)
oral phase
birth to 1.5 years. sucking, dependent. adult oral traits: enjoy food, gum, smoke, drink. passive and dependent.
anal phase
1.5 to 3 years. crawling, exploring, “no!”, potty training, terrible twos. adult anal traits: neat, on time, correct, organized, careful with money, controlled
fixation
extra investment of libido in one phase
regression
reversion to earlier phase under stress
phallic phase
oedipal complex in boys, electra complex in girls. 3-6 years old. curious about sex differences. close to parent of the opposite sex.
latency phase
6 yrs - adolescent. girlscouts/boyscouts. figured out that youre a girl/boy. think other sex has cooties etc
genital phase
adolescent/adult on. adult sexual phase. capacity for true intimacy. understand sexual differences between girls / boys
Id
“child”. from birth. fun, gratification. “i want it now”
Superego
“parent”. from age 5 on, when you start understanding right from wrong. conscience, morals, rules, values. develops based on input from parents, teachers, religious authorities, political authorities, societal norms, legal system. “thou shalt not!”
ego
“adult”. growing, evolving. the balancing of the superego and Id. deals with external and internal reality. your personality
ego under stress
ego defense mechanisms come out to decrease distress, and make reality better
psychotic mechanisms
common in healthy individuals before the age of five. common in adult dreams and fantasy. for the user, these mechanisms alter reality. to the beholder, they appear crazy
delusional projection
psychotic mech. frank delusions about external reality, usually of a persecutory type. paranoia usually. perception of other people or their feelings literally inside oneself.
psychotic denial
denial of external reality. Ex: thinking you are jesus. psychotic mech
distortion
psychotic mech. reshaping external reality to suit inner needs. unrealistic megalomaniacal beliefs. hallucinations, wish-fulfilling delusions of delusional superiority or entitlement. denial of personal responsibility for one’s own behavior.
immature mechanisms
common in healthy individuals from age 3-15. seen in personality disorders. for user, alter distress due to threat of interpersonal intimacy or its loss. for beholder, they appear socially undesirable
projection
immature mech. attributing one’s own unacknowledged feelings to others. severe prejudice, rejections of intimacy through unwarranted suspicion, hypervigilance to external danger. paranoid personality
somatization
immature mech. turning an unacceptable impulse or feeling from bereavement, lonliness, fear, or anger into complaints of pain or somatic illness. hypochondriac, psychosomatic disorders
acting out
immature mech. direct expression of an unconscious wish or impulse in order to avoid being conscious of the affect that accompanies it. delinquent or impulsive act to avoid being aware of one’s feelings. antisocial personality disorder.
splitting
immature mech. seeing people and events as ALL good or ALL bad. will quickly switch between these extreme positions. borderline personality disorder
neurotic defenses
common in healthy people age 3-90. seen in neurotic disorders and acute stress. for the user, these alter private feelings or instinctual expression. for beholder, they are quirks or hang ups.
denial
neurotic. unable to accept intolerable facts about reality. most common defense seen in medical practice
displacement
neurotic. redirection of feelings toward a relatively less cared for object than the person or situation arousing the feelings. most phobias, many hysterical conversion reactions, and some prejudice involve displacement.
dissociation
neurotic. temporary but drastic modification of one’s character or of one’s sense of personal identity to avoid emotional distress. acute reaction to trauma. “i dont remember the incidence at all.” seen in multiple personality disorder
identification
neurotic. unconscious patterning of one’s behavior after a powerful, influential person. coach/parent. stockholm syndrome
intellectualization
neurotic. thinking about instinctual wishes in formal, affectively bland terms, and not acting on them. idea is in the consciousness, but the feeling is missing. isolation, rationalization, ritual, restitution, busywork. seen in obsessive compulsive disorder
isolation of affect
neurotic. intellectual knowledge and understanding of a negative event without experiencing the feelings. someone sentenced to life in jail and showing no emotion
rationalization
neurotic. providing superficially reasonable accounts to explain away negative events, feelings, actions.
reaction formation
neurotic. behavior in a fashion diametrically opposed to an unacceptable instinctual impulse. overtly caring for someone else when one wishes to be cared for. hating someone or something one really likes. loving a rival.
regression
neurotic. appearance of child-like behavior during periods of stress. seen in medical crises.
undoing
neurotic. protecting against a negative past event by acceptable ‘corrective’ behaviors, such as rituals, superstitions, formal atonement, or confession.
mature mechanisms
common in healthy people age 12-90. for user, integrate reality, interpersonal relationships, and private feelings. to the beholder, they appear as convenient virtues.
altruism
mature. vicarious but constructive and instinctually gratifying service to others, philanthropy, etc. provides benefit, which acting out/projection dont. leaves person using defense gratified, unlike reaction formation
sublimation
mature. indirect or attenuated expression of instincts without either adverse consequences or marked loss of pleasure. taking an instinct of something that would be bad but channeling it to be good, like a person who loves fighting becoming a boxer as a career. artistic expression, etc
anticipation
mature. realistic anticipation of or planning for future inner discomfort. includes goal directed but overly careful planning or worrying.
suppression
mature. conscious or semiconscious decision to postpone paying attention to a conscious impulse or conflict. looking for silver linings, minimizing discomfort. postponing but not avoiding.
humor
mature. overt expression of ideas and feelings without individual discomfort on self or others
transference
patient’s unconscious transfer and replay of relationship with influential figures from the past.
countertransference
MD’s transference to the patient.
