The Specifics Of Working With People With Different Accentuations Of Character

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Sigmund Freud can be considered one of the founders of psychotherapy and practical psychology. And we can safely say that the method of work he proposed - psychoanalysis - is the basis for most of the areas of psychotherapy that have arisen later. Some of his followers developed and improved his method, trying to transfer this approach to work with new types of psychological problems. Others criticized Freud and looked for alternative approaches to working with the human psyche, but, nevertheless, they, to one degree or another, were based on the concepts proposed by the founder of psychoanalysis.

But it is worth noting that Freud himself quite clearly limited the type of clients to whom the method of treatment he developed was applicable. He began his career by working with a certain type of people who could be attributed to those who are now called "hysterics".

In addition, it makes sense to take into account the fact that the hysterics with whom Freud worked lived in a certain socio-cultural atmosphere - in the atmosphere of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in Germany at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Let's try to give a brief analysis of the possibility of using the method of psychoanalysis for representatives of different types of character accentuation.

1. Hysteroids

What characterizes people with a hysterical type of character?

• In response to psychological trauma or persistent negative pressure in the psyche of hysterics, strong and most often unconscious psychological defenses are usually formed. Despite the fact that these defense mechanisms very much hamper their activity, hysterics do not like to abandon them, and more often than not they simply do not have such an opportunity: they cannot do it on their own, since they do not realize the presence of these defenses in their psyche.
• The hysteroid most often cannot afford to be "bad", "immoral" and inappropriate to the social norms recognized by them. For this reason, hysterics tend to displace from their consciousness all the thoughts, feelings and attitudes that "defame" them.
• At the moment when someone, in the process of interacting or communicating with the hysteroid, violates his "personal boundaries" or in some way touches "forbidden topics", he encounters stiff resistance. Resistance is a psychological mechanism, which is especially pronounced in hysteroids. In the course of interaction and conversation with hysterics, this mechanism is triggered at the moments of approaching "closed topics" that are associated with those situations and meanings that have been displaced from their consciousness.
• Hysteroids very often have a mismatch between the image of themselves and the internal dynamics of the psyche, that is, they have problems with psychological reflection (social reflection is usually normal for them).

The technique of psychoanalysis allows hysterics to project the content of their inner drama onto the psychologist and the entire situation of psychotherapy. There is an opportunity to respond to repressed reactions, thoughts and aspirations. Voicing current (coming to mind in the course of psychotherapy) thoughts and experiences, as well as everything related to the transference, allows a person to gradually turn on his psychological reflection (or a psychologist helps him to do it).

Anything related to repression and resistance usually has a strong emotional and energetic charge. For this reason, the use of various communicative and play psychological techniques, focused on quick "insights" and "insights" or involving the rapid inclusion of reflection, when working with hysterics can lead to additional stress and trauma, but are unlikely to allow them to deal with their problems, and all the more so to reorganize the structure of your personality.

Unhurried psychoanalysis, which may seem slow and even boring to some hysterics, allows them to “split” and cathex on new grounds and according to new principles the energy of their “heavy nuclei” (repressed feelings and suppressed aggression) at the speed that their psyche is capable of.

But while psychoanalysis is a very suitable method of psychotherapy for dealing with hysterics, in some cases it may not be the best choice. Well, first of all, for the reason that this is a very long and expensive method of treatment, and a person may simply not have the necessary funds for this.

There are times when hysterics have problems that are not associated with repressed thoughts and drives or with some other emotionally and energetically charged complexes of experiences. Quite often, they suffer from current existential crises, as they lose the idea of what image of themselves they should carry into society.

In some cases, hysterics are faced with the problem of adapting to a new social environment (that is, problems arise rather not with psychological, but with social reflection). In these situations, psychoanalysis may not be very helpful and even counterproductive for them.

Many psychologists are justifiably convinced that the roots of most psychological and personal problems are hidden in deep childhood. We can say that everything in the world is interconnected, just like in the human psyche. But, nevertheless, in life there is also a place for surprises and accidents. And on a person's life trajectory, even if he lives strictly according to a given family scenario, random but fateful events and meetings can appear. And just hysterics tend to keep very strong impressions of these events in their souls.

The self-image for the hysteroid is a very sensitive and fragile instrument. Just like that image of society or the world in which he carries his "mission" and in which he wants to receive recognition. An unexpected destruction of ideas about the world and about oneself can cause a strong existential crisis in a hysteroid.

There are psychological problems that need to be solved quickly and point-wise, their interweaving into the process of realizing deep feelings and complexes can lead to significant destabilization of the psyche, when current problems simply begin to resonate with the old ones, which makes them even more difficult to comprehend. We can say that real psychoanalysis for hysterics becomes justified only after solving their current "hot problems" or freeing their psyche from involuntary reactions to these problems.

2. "Psychopaths" (people with psychopathic character accentuation)

Let's make a reservation right away that by the term "psychopaths" we in this case mean people with "psychopathic accentuation of character", that is, healthy from both a psychological and moral point of view. And besides, there is no real evidence that people with an accentuated character are more at risk of being in the ranks of the mentally ill than those who have got the so-called "blurry character", without clearly defined features.

What characterizes people with psychopathic character accentuation?

• "Psychopaths" are characterized by intolerance to the restriction of personal freedom. Their inner energy very often spills out and overflows, it requires immediate implementation. Initially, their behavior is not at all a rebellion against society or a desire to violate social norms, they are simply cramped within the established framework.

  Usually, they are quite capable of correcting their behavior and reactions if they understand the meaningfulness of the social norms and conventional rules they violate. Those norms that seem to them absurd or unreasonable and excessive, cause them melancholy or irritation. And they either go to rebellion against them, or find ways to simply escape from the situation that is embarrassing them.

• People with psychopathic accentuation of character can be no less expressive than hysterics. But only they need much less external recognition, they are much more self-sufficient and independent of society.

  If hysterics make a beautiful gesture, then it is very important for them that it is appreciated by others. "Psychopaths" make beautiful gestures and actions for their own sake, for them it is something like a personal feat. The hysteroid will not climb the mountain, if no one sees it, the psychopath can climb to the top alone and be very pleased with what happened, even if no one finds out about this feat.

• People of this psychotype often have problems with consistency and constancy, as they do not tolerate routine and monotonous activities.
• Psychopaths usually do not have problems with psychological reflection, in the sense that they are not very inclined to suppress and repress their thoughts, feelings and drives. On an interpersonal level, they simply avoid contact with people who are not suitable for them in temperament, but with those with whom they are on the "same wavelength", they usually have good trusting relationships, although sometimes short-lived.

Psychopaths with a high level of intelligence usually do not have problems with social reflection, and those with less developed intellectual abilities usually simply choose a lifestyle in which social relations are minimized.

For people with psychopathic character accentuation, psychoanalytic sessions can be unbearable torment and mockery. It is difficult for them to imagine being very bored or boring. They have no problems with the expression of their feelings and emotions, they rarely repress and suppress something in themselves, so it is difficult for them to find any hidden complexes or suppressed thoughts and attractions in themselves. If "psychopaths" do not see something, do not understand and do not realize, it is not at all because they are repressing something or are afraid to admit it to themselves. Not understanding themselves or the situation for them is rather just a gap in their education.

So it is not surprising that psychopaths are difficult to treat, according to psychoanalysts. However, cognitive-behavioral therapists are unlikely to say this. "Psychopaths" successfully work on themselves if in the process of their psychotherapy play and communication practices are used. They also turn out to be quite curable when removing them from the usual negative trances, to which the representatives of this psychotype are quite strongly susceptible.

3. Schizoids

What characterizes the representatives of the schizoid accentuation of character?

• If we evaluate schizoids on the "social scale", then they are more focused on intimacy and selectivity of contacts than on broad social ties. Among smart and educated schizoids, there are people with increased social activity (moreover, with quite successful ones), but at the same time they are quite cynical and perceive their social connections rather as work that needs to be done. At the level of interpersonal relationships (if they start up), even such hypersocial schizoids also tend to be intimate and are distinguished by increased selectivity of contacts.
• On the scale “culture - the unknown” for schizoids, there is inevitably what the little-known but talented Soviet psychologist Boris Kravtsov called the “Other” instance. That is, schizoids are always, to one degree or another, fascinated by something unknown and not yet introduced into the field of our culture, by something that has not yet been described, expressed, not manifested. For this reason, all intelligent and educated schizoids are capable of original and unusual judgments and are prone to a special vision of the situation. While not very smart or pedagogically and intellectually neglected representatives of this psychotype can sometimes amaze others with their inadequacy or illogical perception of what is happening.
• Contrary to the existing belief that schizoids are people “turned inward and not outside,” representatives of this psychotype are not at all so deeply immersed in their psyche. The schizoid is not a "person of the psyche", but rather a man of the world of ideas or a supporter, albeit slightly unusual, but nevertheless rationalism. Hysteroids, psychasthenics and epileptoids are more likely to be immersed in the psyche, in their own "inner world". The inner world of a schizoid is more likely not yet accustomed to him and not articulated ideas and images. That which swirls and fascinates them into the already mentioned instance “other” (in this case, metaphors such as the collective unconscious or the Platonic world of ideas can be used as a not very accurate synonym). But most often what is presented in the inner world of the schizoid is perceived by him as "white noise" of vague images, vague ideas and thoughts, or hardly distinguishable premonitions.

A schizoid seated on a psychotherapeutic couch, responsibly approaching the requirements of a psychoanalytic procedure, can endlessly and endlessly deeply immerse himself in that very instance of the Other, in the collective unconscious, or in some other reality that opens up before him in the process of meditation. And in this abyss will drown all the psychological trauma he received from his family and society.

The initial problem of schizoids is that their perception of reality is slightly complicated by some non-standard thinking. Not everything in social life can be understood from a logical point of view; social laws are very often illogical or random. Schizoids need a translator from their language to the general social and vice versa.

The psychological trauma received during life leads to the fact that the process of integration into the social world is difficult for schizoids. They are very grateful to those who understand them. But in order for schizoids to understand that they are understood, it is necessary that in the process of psychotherapy it is not they who speak, but the therapist. At the very least, it is important that he demonstrates that he can speak their language. It is difficult to expect such an attitude towards the client from psychologists, who believe that the psychotherapist should not actively interpret what is happening, and even more so - tell something to the person who has addressed him.

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Thus, we can say that when choosing a strategy and methods of working with a person, it makes sense for psychologists to pay attention to the specifics of their character and what psychotype their client can be attributed to.