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Depression as pseudo self-repair in a case of blocked mourning

Depression as pseudo self-repair in a case of blocked mourning BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS DEPRESSION AS PSEUDO SELF-REPAIR IN A CASE OF BLOCKED MOURNING Where damage to the self is rooted in very early developmental levels, prolonged depression often functions as a vain attempt to enhance fragile self-esteem. This may be especially marked in cases where the subject must deal with loss (e.g., the death of a parent). The subject's aggravated sense of guilt and responsibility can then act as signs of his capacity to love. It is an attempt to reassure himself that his love is not entirely deficient.* The fact that he feels so guilty is witness to his love. Mourning remains impossible since the subject must devote himself to shoring up self-esteem by proving his goodness in face of relentless self-attacks. His depression is taken by him as evidence of his sincerity. To a significant extent depressive affect in mourning blocks assumes a binding or containing function. Through depression the subject tries to fill "holes" in his self-feeling. Depression often has an absorbant or cushioning quality that makes the subject feel more whole in a self-mothering way. However, since it functions as a substitute for genuine psychic work, gaps in psychic structure inevitably make themselves felt. At those http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The American Journal of Psychoanalysis Springer Journals

Depression as pseudo self-repair in a case of blocked mourning

Eigen, Michael
The American Journal of Psychoanalysis , Volume 43 (1): 3 – Mar 1, 1983
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Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
1983 Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis
ISSN
0002-9548
eISSN
1573-6741
DOI
10.1007/BF01253502
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS DEPRESSION AS PSEUDO SELF-REPAIR IN A CASE OF BLOCKED MOURNING Where damage to the self is rooted in very early developmental levels, prolonged depression often functions as a vain attempt to enhance fragile self-esteem. This may be especially marked in cases where the subject must deal with loss (e.g., the death of a parent). The subject's aggravated sense of guilt and responsibility can then act as signs of his capacity to love. It is an attempt to reassure himself that his love is not entirely deficient.* The fact that he feels so guilty is witness to his love. Mourning remains impossible since the subject must devote himself to shoring up self-esteem by proving his goodness in face of relentless self-attacks. His depression is taken by him as evidence of his sincerity. To a significant extent depressive affect in mourning blocks assumes a binding or containing function. Through depression the subject tries to fill "holes" in his self-feeling. Depression often has an absorbant or cushioning quality that makes the subject feel more whole in a self-mothering way. However, since it functions as a substitute for genuine psychic work, gaps in psychic structure inevitably make themselves felt. At those

Journal

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis – Springer Journals

Published: Mar 1, 1983

Keywords: Clinical Psychology; Psychotherapy; Psychoanalysis

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