Oedipus Freud
Through a combination of events, in particular the loss of his father at the height of a still unsatisfactorily resolved oedipus complex, anxiety became overwhelming. A regression took place, predominantly to an earlier, anal level of the organization of drives and drive-monitoring forces and structures. In terms of ego and its objects, it corresponded to a late stage of separation-individuation, with the little child's version of self-centered, omnipotent, and anally fascinated self and objects, the continuing necessity for protection and support from external adults, along with all the corresponding monstrous dangers of those early years. This seemed a safer world—worlds beyond seemed too monstrous to even imagine. But the price of a small amount of safety was terribly high: in relations with intimate objects there was endless trouble; internally, he was exposed to the continuing fantastic dangers and tragedies of childhood. I believe that the analytic work made unconscious regressions less necessary for Mr. T. What had been lost on conscious levels was in part restored. But I believe also that something in addition happened: a new internalization took place. I believe that in part Mr. T did "lose" the analyst (insofar as
We could do it, of course. But it would be an unwieldy and mechanical theory. More and more complicated "drive derivatives" would have to be postulated. Divorced from close connections with the wondrous human realities and interactions exposed in any adequate analytic situation, some of the humanness would be removed from psychoanalytic theory. The focus of this paper has been on the indivisibility of Freudian object relations and drive theories. To illustrate this, one session and its context was presented in detail. The patient was an obsessional person, and the extent of his "narcissistic" pathology might have erroneously suggested very early, very "primitive" developmental catastrophes. However, a long and "ordinary" analysis demonstrated nothing of the sort. In the session described, also an "ordinary," undramatic one, the patient achieved a small, significant advance, a foothold washed away less frequently and for shorter times by regressions during subsequent years. He acquired a more advanced system of representations both of objects and of his own self. He could retain these representations more reliably. Could we try to explain events without recourse to a drive theory (of some sort)? That would mean the abandonment of most of Freud's extraordinary insights. These abstractions are grounded in empirical experience. Object relations theorists who claim to be able to throw the theories out have two choices. They can formulate clinical material by simply ignoring the clinical foundations when their theory cannot comprehend them; e.g., psychoanalytic papers are written about development which never even mention the dynamic unconscious, conflict, or childhood sexuality! Often, the drive concepts get smuggled back into their theories of the ego and its objects -- like epicycles. Thus, I believe there is merit in Freud's belief (1923) that the ego is built up out of abandoned object relations. However, I wish to stress two things: 1) this is not the only way intrapsychic structures are altered; and 2) in Mr. T's case, the "new object" was related to oedipal issues reactivated during adolescent development. It will be remembered that in a real sense, Mr. T had evaded adolescence. nt of them in himself and in others, and the wishes became held with less intensity. More mature wishes became available, and available for gratifications. The aim has been to present a positive illustration of Freudian object relations theory simultaneously at work with a Freudi
Some topics in this essay:
Beres Arlow,
,
object relations,
drive theory,
freudian object relations,
psychoanalytic theory,
freudian object,
own self retain,
self retain representations,
retain representations reliably,
acquired advanced system,
subsequent acquired,
frequently shorter,
acquired advanced,
washed frequently,
shorter times,
regressions subsequent,
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Approximate Word count = 1675
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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