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The Wolf-Man case: Classical and self-psychological perspectives

The Wolf-Man case: Classical and self-psychological perspectives The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 52, No. 3, 1992 THE WOLF-MAN CASE: CLASSICAL AND SELF-PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES Kenneth R. Thomas The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to provide a synopsis of the famous Wolf-Man case (Freud 1918/1955), and (2) to assess Freud's anal- ysis and treatment of the Wolf-Man from a self-psychology perspective. My reasons for selecting the Wolf-Man case as a point of departure for this comparison relate not only to the considerable amount of data available about the Wolf-Man and Freud's treatment of him but also because the Wolf-Man almost certainly exhibited a primary disorder of the self (Kohut and Wolf, 1978) that was arguably a narcissistic personality disorder. This diagnosis is supported by several features of the case including: (1) the Wolf-Man's "narcissistic frustration," (2) the character of his interpersonal relations with his parents and other early-life caregivers, (3) his hypo- chondria, (4) his persistent depression, and (5) his strong identification with his mother's listless and defeatist approach to life. Thus, the Wolf-Man case would seem to offer an especially appropriate context from which to view and assess similarities and differences between classical and self-psy- chological psychoanalytic theory and treatment. THE WOLF-MAN CASE 1 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The American Journal of Psychoanalysis Springer Journals

The Wolf-Man case: Classical and self-psychological perspectives

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis , Volume 52 (3): 13 – Sep 1, 1992

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References (14)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
1992 Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis
ISSN
0002-9548
eISSN
1573-6741
DOI
10.1007/BF01249426
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 52, No. 3, 1992 THE WOLF-MAN CASE: CLASSICAL AND SELF-PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES Kenneth R. Thomas The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to provide a synopsis of the famous Wolf-Man case (Freud 1918/1955), and (2) to assess Freud's anal- ysis and treatment of the Wolf-Man from a self-psychology perspective. My reasons for selecting the Wolf-Man case as a point of departure for this comparison relate not only to the considerable amount of data available about the Wolf-Man and Freud's treatment of him but also because the Wolf-Man almost certainly exhibited a primary disorder of the self (Kohut and Wolf, 1978) that was arguably a narcissistic personality disorder. This diagnosis is supported by several features of the case including: (1) the Wolf-Man's "narcissistic frustration," (2) the character of his interpersonal relations with his parents and other early-life caregivers, (3) his hypo- chondria, (4) his persistent depression, and (5) his strong identification with his mother's listless and defeatist approach to life. Thus, the Wolf-Man case would seem to offer an especially appropriate context from which to view and assess similarities and differences between classical and self-psy- chological psychoanalytic theory and treatment. THE WOLF-MAN CASE 1

Journal

The American Journal of PsychoanalysisSpringer Journals

Published: Sep 1, 1992

Keywords: Clinical Psychology; Psychotherapy; Psychoanalysis

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