2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
The phenomena called psychological defenses, in the process of normal human development, serve to adapt the psyche to the environment. As you know, neurosis is the price of a healthy psyche for socialization. That is, any mentally healthy adult has a neurosis of a greater or lesser degree of severity. Karen Horney, an outstanding researcher of neuroses, spoke about its multidirectionality, as a result of the formation of psychological defenses that are poorly compatible with each other.
Once again: all of them in a healthy person serve to adapt the psyche to the conditions of upbringing, social interaction and help, to a certain level, cope with traumatic experiences.
In childhood, we form psychological defenses according to the principle: "movement towards people", "movement against people" and "movement from people".
Movement towards people is our need for obedience, love, protection, and affection. Moving against people - the need for power, fame, recognition, success, to be strong and to cope with life. Movement from people represents the need for independence, freedom, withdrawal, isolation from people.
These three directions, like the three heads of the Serpent-Gorynych from the Dynamic concept of personality in gestalt therapy, develop in us neurotic, narcissistic and schizoid ways of interacting with the world. All these three needs live inside at the same time, but each of us is dominated by one thing. Conventionally, all mentally healthy people, thus, fall under the classification: "subordinate", "aggressive" and "detached".
For example, for a more narcissistically organized personality, defenses of an orientation "against people" are inherent, with the need for power, fame, recognition, success, in order to be strong and cope with life. Accordingly, the needs of a schizoid and neurotic nature often remain unmet.
Since the adaptive defense mechanisms worked successfully during the period of development and formation of the personality, they are often remembered by this personality and used as the only known and correct support.
So, the most common development scenario: the narcissist (often unconsciously) is more in need of satisfying his neurotic needs, and it turns out well to feed only the familiar and accepted narcissistic head - that is, to fight for recognition, power, success. The neurotic really wants narcissistic recognition and power, but does not know how to get it. Or, he does not notice that he wants schizoid solitude, and overloads himself with familiar and accessible communications and relationships, ignoring, not noticing fatigue and irritation. The schizoid misses love and care, but is very afraid of absorbing and losing himself.
The conflict lies in the fact that each of us is more or less able to satisfy some needs. And some - not at all, or very insufficient. Sometimes it's very scary to just understand and notice that you want to do just that. Because new information about oneself contradicts the familiar inner self-image. The usual defenses work!
It is even more difficult to understand and accept that at different points in time I may want something "to people", then "from people", then "against" - and this is normal. To be able to choose a socially acceptable form for implementation and go to get it for yourself.
Problems generated by contradictions between defensive tendencies are the result of neurosis. That is: from the fact that you do not notice, do not know how to listen to some of your heads, she does not stop talking to you, and does not stop asking and needing. You just don’t hear, or you hear, but don’t understand, or you understand, but you don’t know how to feed her. The result in the form of tension - internal, or in external events, still makes itself felt.
In this metaphor, psychotherapy helps to acquaint and make friends with your main head two others. Recognize and explore your needs, passing through habitual psychological defenses.
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