Internal psychological resistance of a person and ways to overcome it. Resistance Analysis

NON-STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

MOSCOW INSTITUTE OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOANALYSIS

COURSE WORK

Subject: Concepts of modern psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic and group psychotherapy

On the topic: The concept of resistance and working with it

Introduction

1 Determination of resistance

2 Forms of resistance

3 Functions of resistance and its mechanism

4 Transference and resistance

1 Preliminary remarks

Conclusion

Introduction

Psychotherapy is an activity aimed at ridding a person of various problems (emotional, personal, social, etc.). In treatment, the patient must “open up” to the therapist. “Opening up” he tells the psychotherapist everything he knows about himself and how he defines himself.

Each person has a certain idea of ​​himself. He collects this information all his life, and it is extremely important for him. It often happens that the more important a source of information is to our existence, the more stubbornly we resist being changed or questioned. When a patient comes to a psychotherapist, he wants to change his life by changing his idea of ​​himself. But as he recovers, he resists treatment. This is because the treatment of the patient causes him to feel the greatest threat - the re-experiencing of traumatic moments in life. And as a result, it turns out that the patient, coming to the psychotherapist for an appointment, hopes to receive help, but he himself rejects it.

The object of research in this work is the resistance of the client, and the subject is the analysis of working with resistance.

The purpose of the study is to reveal the concept of resistance and analyze the methods of working with it. The purpose of the study determines the setting of the following tasks:

Disclosure of the concept of resistance

Consideration of the main forms of manifestation of resistance

Considering ways to deal with resistance

When writing the work, the following sources of information were used: textbooks and teaching aids, the World Wide Web.

The work consists of two parts: the first part reveals the theoretical material. This part describes in detail the basic concepts, functions and forms of manifestation of resistance.

The second part consists of an analysis of working with resistance and recommendations for analysis.

Chapter 1. The concept of resistance

1.1 Definition of resistance

Resistance is a force that produces repression and maintains it by opposing the transition of ideas from the unconscious to consciousness. This is a life-preserving impulse, although it is not subject to conscious control.

The prerequisite for the existence of a symptom is that some mental process did not complete its normal course so that it could not become conscious. A symptom is a substitute for what has not been realized. Strong resistance is directed to the fact that the mental process mentioned above could not penetrate into consciousness. Also during treatment, resistance prevents this process from being transferred from the unconscious to consciousness. The process that manifests itself in the form of resistance is called displacement.

In life, resistance manifests itself in various forms of neurosis, phobias, erroneous actions (such as forgetting, losing). It can be conscious, preconscious and unconscious, it can cause us to need to be pleasant, to argue, to be embarrassed, to be passive, not to have desires and needs, and so on.

In psychotherapy, resistance occurs when material is allowed into consciousness that the client avoids in every possible way. This force blocks the patient's interest in recovery. When we try to help the patient, he himself, without realizing it, puts up fierce resistance to us, lasting throughout the entire treatment. The patient may challenge and reject the therapist's interpretations, withdraw from him, try not to get involved in the treatment process, etc. It may manifest itself in such a way that the client will talk about himself, as if reporting about himself, and not sincerely talk about his being. In this way, the patient will avoid bringing his subjectivity into the therapeutic work. The closer the therapist comes to unconscious processes, the more intense the resistance becomes.

The discovery of the phenomenon of resistance belongs to Z. Freud. He was the first who began to perceive resistance as a separate element of the psyche and accepted it as a central part of psychoanalytic work. For the first time he uses the term "resistance" in the description of the case of Elisabeth von R., whom he treated in 1892. He believed that the patient was trying to drive some ideas away from him and that the strength of the resistance corresponded to the amount of energy that ideas expend trying to penetrate consciousness.

Freud, along with Breuer, first engaged in psychotherapy with the help of hypnosis. Then Freud began to notice that the results of the treatment were inconsistent and persisted for a short time. Then he realized that when using hypnosis it was impossible to understand the dynamics of these failures. The state of hypnosis did not allow to notice the existence of resistance. It pushed resistance into the background, freeing up a certain area for analytical work and focusing it on the boundaries of this area so that it became irresistible. This is why Freud claims that true psychoanalysis began with the rejection of the help of hypnosis.

The therapist's task is to overcome resistance, and he does this in such a way that he insists that the patient tell everything that comes to his mind, even if it embarrasses him.

Resistance is not only a hindrance to healing, but also an important source of information about the functioning of the ego in general. The defenses that appear as resistances during treatment serve important functions for the patient in his outer life.

1.2 Forms of resistance

This chapter will discuss the most typical examples of resistance that appear during psychotherapy. Resistance is extremely diverse, difficult to recognize and constantly changing the form of its manifestation. Single, isolated examples are not the rule. If the patient clearly opens up to the therapist, this does not mean that the resistance has ceased to work. For example, the patient may vividly describe some aggressive activity in the session for whatever recounting of an experience that may indicate that he has encountered sexual temptation.

Here are some clinical manifestations of resistance.

The patient is silent.

The most overt and frequent form of resistance. This means that the patient is not disposed to talk about his feelings. He may be aware of his reluctance, or he may feel that he has nothing in his head to tell the therapist.

In this case, the task of the therapist is to analyze the reasons for the patient's silence. It is necessary to reveal the motives for counteracting the psychotherapeutic procedure.

Sometimes, despite the silence, the patient can reveal the motive or even the content of his silence by his behavior. Turning the head away, avoiding looking, covering the eyes with the hands, crouching on the couch, blushing the face may indicate confusion. If, for example, the patient at the same time absently removes her wedding ring from her finger and then passes her little finger through it several times, one should think that, despite her silence, the patient is embarrassed by thoughts of sexuality or adultery. Her silence shows that she has not yet become aware of those impulses and the struggle that goes on between the urge to reveal and the opposing impulse to hide her feelings.

Silence does not always indicate the presence of resistance. For example, silence may be a repetition of an event that happened in the past, where silence played an important role, may reflect a reaction to what is happening. Thus, silence acts not only as resistance, but also as the content of part of the experience. But in most cases, silence acts as resistance.

The patient "does not feel able to tell."

This situation is similar to the previous one. But here the patient is not completely silent, but simply does not feel unable to speak. The task of the therapist is the same: to find out the reason for the inability to speak.

Affects that are a sign of resistance.

It happens that the patient communicates something to the client verbally, but there are no affects. His remarks are dry, boring and monotonous. As if the patient is not at all touched by what he talks about. This disparity of affect indicates resistance.

Patient's posture.

Very often, the patient's posture during therapy can indicate resistance. Rigidity, stiffness, twisting may indicate protection. Also, if the patient does not behave naturally, for example, does not change position during the entire session, or vice versa, changes it too often, this is a sign of resistance. The contradictions between verbal content and posture can also be qualified as resistance. Clenched fists, folded arms across the chest, crossed ankles may indicate concealment. If the patient rises from the couch, or, for example, moves one foot off the couch, this means that he wants to avoid the analytic situation. Avoiding the therapist's eyes also speaks of resistance.

Fixation in time.

You can see the resistance in the sequence of the story about the past and the present. Usually, when the patient talks relatively freely, the story will alternate past and present. If the patient speaks consistently only about the past, without inserting anything from the present, or vice versa, then some kind of resistance is at work here. At this time, avoidance, fixation of emotional tone, posture, etc. can be observed.

Little things and external events.

In such situations, the patient talks about external, unimportant events that do not lead to a deepening of understanding. Lack of introspection and completeness of thought is an indicator of resistance. Similarly, if the external situation does not lead to a personal, internal situation, resistance works. The abundance of stories that do not lead to new memories or understandings is an indicator of security.

Topic avoidance.

Patients tend to consciously or unconsciously avoid painful topics. Often this involves some aspect of sexuality, aggression, or transference. When considering sexuality, it can be noted that most of the avoided topics concern body parts or physical sensations. The patient will be reluctant to point out a particular kind of physical sensation or stimulus that aroused him. The patient may detail the sexual event, but will be reluctant to reveal what part or parts of the body were involved. "Today we made oral love" or "my husband kissed me sexually" are typical examples of resistance.

Also, the patient may describe in general terms feeling irritated when in fact he was furious or ready to kill someone.

The patient's sexual or aggressive feelings toward the therapist are also the most subtly avoided topics in early analysis. Patients will show great curiosity about the therapist, but will talk about him in the most conventional terms and will be reluctant to reveal their aggressive or sexual feelings towards him. If some topic is not included in the analytical session, then this can be considered as resistance.

Rigidity.

If any pattern is observed at the patient's appointment, then this may indicate resistance. For example, at the beginning of each session, the patient touches on the same topic. It is prepared every time for a session, in order to fill the session or avoid silence.

Avoidance language.

The patient's use of technical terms or sterile language is one of the most common manifestations of resistance. Thus, the patient tries to avoid the resulting vivid image. For example, a patient who says "genital organs" when he means penis is trying to avoid the image that will come to him when he hears the word penis. Or "I felt uncomfortable" instead of "It pissed me off" also indicates that the patient is trying to avoid feeling pissed off. It is very important for the therapist to be absolutely free in expression when talking with the patient.

The use of clichés isolates affects and leads away from emotional entanglements. Phrases such as "for some reason", "I guess", "probably" are always an indicator of avoidance.

Lateness, missed sessions, forgetfulness when paying.

This kind of resistance can manifest itself both consciously and unconsciously. In any case, this is an indicator of unwillingness to come or pay for the session.

Lack of dreams.

The dream is one of the most important norms of approach to the unconscious and the repressed. Patients who forget their dreams or tell them incompletely are subject to resistance. This behavior speaks of the patient's struggle with the exposure of his unconscious by the psychotherapist. If such resistance is overcome in this session, then the patient can talk about a dream that has been forgotten so far or about new fragments of it that have come to his mind.

The patient is tired.

When the patient works well, he tends to find his fantasies. But if the patient is bored, it means that he is avoiding awareness of his unconscious impulses. Boredom, whatever it means, is a defense against fantasy.

The patient has a secret.

A secret in a patient is a special form of resistance, the handling of which requires special technical consideration. The secret may be an event that the patient would like to leave alone, or even a word that he is not free to utter. The secret is something extremely intimate for the patient and to show it to the therapist means to tell something important and personal.

Freud argues that if a secret is allowed to exist, all tabulated and hidden desires use this secret as a refuge and escape analysis. The slightest concession to a secret is incompatible with analysis.

After the patient reveals his secret, one should begin to study the patient's reaction or study the content of the secret. At the same time, it must be remembered that psychoanalysis directs the spearhead of attack not at the secret itself, but at the motive for its preservation.

action outside.

Such resistance manifests itself in the fact that the patient uses actions instead of words, memories and affects. For example, the patient smokes during a session or talks about psychotherapy with someone other than the therapist in order to ease some aspects of their feelings. The outward action must be analyzed as a resistance and its motives examined, since it may jeopardize the entire analysis.

Frequent fun sessions.

The patient during therapy should feel satisfaction or even some sense of triumph. Sometimes a correct interpretation causes spontaneous laughter in the therapist or patient. But too many merry sessions and prolonged high spirits can all show that something is being turned away - usually something of the opposite nature, some form of depression. Flight into health, premature loss of symptoms without understanding, are signs of similar types of resistance.

The patient does not change.

When the psychotherapist works with the patient apparently well and successfully, but the patient does not change and resistance does not appear, the psychotherapist must look for hidden, implicit resistance. If there are no resistances, then we are most likely dealing with outward action or transference resistance.

Here are the most common forms of resistance, but this list is not complete. Many other typical resistances can be added to this list, but they are all similar to those listed.

3 Resistance function and its mechanism

The function of protection is to eliminate suffering, regardless of what was the stimulus that caused this painful memory, this function acts through the "I". It is the mental structure that mobilizes the functions of disgust, avoidance. She can do this by developing unconscious defense mechanisms such as repression, projection, introjection. But it can also do this using any other mental functions.

Resistance can be attributed to all types of psychological defense. It is the "protection" of the neurosis from awareness and change. "Protection" is a process that protects the psyche from pain and danger and resists instinctive actions that bring pleasure and relaxation. The function of such protection is based on the functions of the "I" and the psychotherapeutic situation acts as a resistance.

Any psychic phenomenon used for defensive purposes operates through the "I". Therefore, the analysis of resistance should begin with it. Resistance is an operational concept that is created by analysis. The analytical situation here acts as an arena in which the forces of resistance manifest themselves.

The patient's resistance works mainly in his unconscious. At the beginning of therapy, the patient feels resistance as some opposition to the therapist's requests. But as the unconscious processes are approached, the resistance becomes more intense, and the patient becomes aware of it as a defensive reaction of the "I".

The concept of resistance consists of three components: danger, forces that encourage the defense of the "I" and forces that push forward, at risk, the pre-adaptive "I".

The lower in the hierarchy of defenses the resistance occupies, the more closely it is connected with the repressed material and the less likely it is to become conscious. Conversely, the higher the resistance rises, the more closely connected with the secondary process is its action.

All defensive behavior provides a release for that which is being defended against.

The immediate cause of defense is always the avoidance of some painful affect, anxiety, guilt, or shame. A more distant cause is the underlying instinctive impulse which excites these affects. The most distant cause is a traumatic situation in which the "I" is crushed and helpless, because it is flooded with anxiety that cannot be controlled, mastered or limited - a state of panic. At any sign of danger, the patient turns on protection to avoid this condition.

4 Resistance and transfer

Transference and resistance are related to each other in many ways. The expression "transference resistance" is commonly used in psychoanalytic literature as a shorthand expression for the intimate yet complex relationship between transference phenomena and resistance functions. However, transference resistance can mean many different things, and I think it would be prudent to clarify the term before moving on to clinical material.

Freud argued that transference phenomena are both the source of the greatest resistance and the most powerful tool for psychoanalytic therapy. Transference reactions are a repetition of the past, an experience without memory. In this sense, all transference phenomena have a value for resistance. On the other hand, reactions to the analyst provide the most important bridges to the patient's unacceptable past. Transference is a detour to memory and insight, but there is hardly any other path besides this path. The transference not only provides clues to what is averted, but can also motivate and stimulate the work in analysis. It is an unreliable ally because it is fickle and also produces external "transfer enhancements" that are misleading.

Certain types of transference reactions evoke resistance because they contain painful and frightening libidinal and aggressive impulses. Sexual and hostile transference reactions are particularly apt to be a source of important resistances. Very often erotic and aggressive components appear together. For example, the patient develops sexual feelings for her analyst and then becomes furious at the lack of reciprocity, which she takes as a rejection. Or the patient is unable to work in the analytic situation for fear of humiliation and the exposure of infantile or primitive fantasies.

It also happens that the transference reactions themselves make the patient unable to work. For example, the patient may regress to an extremely passive, dependent stage of object relations. The patient may not be aware of this, but it will show up in his behavior in the analytic session. This can manifest as pseudo-stupidity or blissful inertia. The patient may relive some early aspects of the mother-child relationship. In this state, the patient cannot do analytic work until the analyst has succeeded in restoring the intelligent ego and the working alliance.

The situation becomes more confusing when certain transference reactions cling to persistence in order to cover up other types of transference feelings. There are patients who stubbornly maintain a façade of realistic cooperation with the analyst in order to mask their irrational fantasies. Sometimes the patient will identify certain feelings and transfer them to others in order to remain unaware of his conflict with the analyst. It often happens that my patients express intense hostility towards other psychoanalysts while they feign intense admiration towards me.

The most difficult to overcome resistance are the so-called "character transfer" reactions. In such situations, the main character traits and attitudes that have a protective function manifest themselves in relation to the analyst in the same way as in relation to people in everyday life. They are so deeply rooted in the patient's character structure and so well rationalized that it is difficult to make them an object of analysis.

To summarize, transference and resistance are related in many ways. The term transference resistance succinctly expresses this clinical fact. Transference phenomena are, in general, resistance to recollection and lead in a detour in the direction of recollection. Transference reactions can cause the patient to become unable to work analytically due to the nature of the reaction. Some transfer reactions can be used as resistance against the detection of other transfer reactions. The analysis of resistances is a "daily piece of bread", a regular work in psychoanalytic therapy. More time is spent on analyzing transference resistances than on any other aspect of the therapeutic work.

Chapter 2 Dealing with Resistance

2.1 Preliminary remarks

Psychoanalytic technique cannot be defined without including in it a consistent and thorough analysis of resistance, since there is a close relationship between resistance and ego function. Its study allows you to get closer to understanding the basic functions of the "I", as well as to its problems and attitude towards them. In addition, the analysis of resistances opens the way for various functions of the "I", which are directly influenced by the "It", "Super-I" and the outside world.

Resistance to therapeutic procedures repeat neurotic conflict in various mental structures. As a result, it is possible for the psychotherapist to observe the formation of compromises, which are analogous to the formation of symptoms.

The treatment situation mobilizes the patient's conflicting tendencies. Before analyzing the patient's resistance, it would be wise to review the patient's balance of power.

Forces that are on the client side:

Neurotic suffering of the client, which forces him to work with a psychotherapist.

A conscious and rational self that is attuned to specific goals and that understands the rationality of therapy.

"It", repressed and its derivatives, striving for detente

A working alliance that allows you to establish a long and productive relationship with a psychotherapist.

positive carryover

Rational "Super-Self", which encourages the patient to fulfill his duties and obligations.

Curiosity and a passionate desire for self-knowledge.

Desires for professional advancement

Various irrational factors such as feelings of competition towards other patients, payback, etc.

All these forces impel the client to work in the analytic situation.

Forces opposing analytic procedures:

Defensive maneuvers of the subconscious self that prepare models for resistance operations.

Fear of change.

Irrational "Super-I"

hostile transfer

Sexual and romantic transference leading to jealousy and frustration, then to hostile transference.

Masochistic and sadistic impulses that lead to painful pleasures.

Impulsivity and outward actions that lead the patient to quickly achieve satisfaction without understanding.

Secondary benefits of a neurotic illness that cause the patient to "stick" to neurosis.

These are the forces which the analytic situation mobilizes in the patient.

2 Resistance analysis technique

The term "analysis" itself is a concise expression for many technical procedures that contribute to the understanding of the patient. At least four different procedures are meant by the name "analysis": confrontation, clarification, interpretation, and elaboration.

Interpretation is an extremely important tool in psychoanalytic work. Any other analytical procedure is only a preliminary preparation for subsequent interpretation, which helps to increase the efficiency of the analysis. To interpret is to make subconscious and preconscious mental events conscious. Interpretation is the process by which the rational and conscious "Ego" becomes aware of what has been repressed and forgotten. With the help of interpretation, we attribute a certain meaning and causality to this or that mental phenomenon, we make the patient aware of the history, source, form, cause or meaning of this mental event. This process requires more than one intervention. In interpreting, the analyst uses his own conscious mind, his empathy, intuition, fantasy, just as much as his intellect, his theoretical knowledge. Through interpretation, we go beyond what is already prepared for the perception, understanding and observation of ordinary conscious thinking. The patient's reactions to the interpretations presented to him make it possible to determine whether these latter are logically justified and plausible, corresponding to the real life situation of the client.

Interpreting the psychological material of the patient, the analyst sets himself the following main goals:

translate the patient's products into their unconscious content, that is, establish the relationship of certain thoughts, fantasies, feelings, behavior of the client with their unconscious "ancestors";

to transform the unconscious elements of mental events into understanding, logical awareness, into their true meaning; fragments of past and present history, conscious and unconscious, must be connected in such a way as to create a sense of integrity and consistency that has an internal logic;

communicate insights to the patient as they are achieved.

For the effective involvement of the patient's "I" in this psychological work, there is a necessary condition, namely that what is being interpreted must first be identified, demonstrated and clarified. In order to demonstrate resistance, it is first necessary to inform the patient that this resistance exists, that it works. Resistance must be demonstrated and the patient must be set against it. Then the particular kind or particular piece of resistance is brought into sharp focus of awareness.

It is necessary to let the patient know what he is resisting, what he is resisting and how he is doing it. In principle, the demonstration of resistance is an optional requirement if the patient is aware of it. However, if the patient is not aware of the presence of resistance, one must confront the patient with the fact that the resistance is working before moving on.

The patient's ability to recognize resistance will depend on the clarity of the resistance and the state of his rational self. An overly intelligent "I" will pay attention to the slightest resistance, while an insufficiently intelligent one will demand evidence of its presence. The therapist needs to assess the degree of reasonableness of the "I" in order to understand how ready the patient is to recognize resistance. It should be understood that a premature demonstration of resistance can only be a waste of time, as well as material for work that could be used later.

In order to increase the demonstrativeness of the resistance and make it recognizable to the Self, the therapist must allow the resistance to develop. For example, to be silent or to carefully work out the moment of resistance. It is necessary to analyze the resistance of the problem before analyzing the problem itself.

Confrontation and clarification are necessary additions to interpretation; they should be treated that way. Sometimes the patient does not need the confrontation, clarification or interpretation provided by the analyst because he is able to do all the necessary analytic work himself. In some cases, all three procedures are present in the analysis almost simultaneously, or a sudden insight can set the stage for confrontation and clarification.

When the resistance becomes open and clear, the therapist begins to interpret the resistance. At the same time, revealing unconscious motives, fantasies, memories, thanks to which resistance arose.

The event that is the motive of resistance is the starting point in the analysis of resistance and further leads to affects, urges, memories.

By and large, resistance is a repetition of events from the past.

Careful working through refers, in essence, to repetition and the development of more detailed, more detailed interpretations that lead the patient from an initial understanding of a particular phenomenon to more elaborate subsequent changes in reactions and behavior.

Careful elaboration makes interpretation effective. Therefore, confrontation and clarification prepare the procedure for interpretation, while careful elaboration completes the analytic work. At the same time, interpretation becomes the central and main tool of psychoanalysis.

So, the resistance analysis technique consists of the following basic procedures.

The process of recognizing resistance.

Demonstration of the fact of resistance to the patient:

demonstrative detection of resistance;

increased resistance.

Clarification of motives and forms of resistance:

what particular morbid affect makes the patient resist;

what specific instinctive urge is the cause of the morbid affect at the moment of analysis;

what specific form and what specific method the patient uses to express his resistance.

Resistance interpretation:

finding out which fantasies or memories are causing the affects and urges behind the resistance;

an explanation of the origins and unconscious objects of the revealed affects, impulses or mental events.

Resistance Shape Interpretation:

an explanation of this form, as well as similar forms of activity during analysis and outside of analysis;

tracing the history and unconscious goals of this activity in the patient's present and past.

An experienced analyst knows that only a small part of the analysis can be done in one session. Basically, the sessions end with just a vague realization that some kind of resistance is “working”. The analyst in such cases only indicates to the patient that he is hiding something or avoiding a certain topic. Whenever possible, the analyst tries to investigate these phenomena. Moreover, the diligence of the analyst himself should play a secondary role in the study and disclosure of unconscious phenomena. It is important not to rush into interpretation, as this may either traumatize the patient or lead to his intellectual rivalry with the analyst. In any case, the result will be an increase in resistance. It is necessary to give the patient the opportunity to feel his resistance and only then move on to interpreting it.

It should be explained to the patient that resistance is his own mental activity, an action which he himself performs unconsciously, preconsciously or consciously, that resistance is not the fault or weakness of the patient, and that the analysis of resistance is an important part of psychoanalysis proper. Only when the patient himself determines what he is resisting, he himself answers the question why and what he is resisting, it becomes possible to cooperate with him, only then is the working alliance necessary for effective analysis created.

resistance psychotherapy affect transference

There are certain rules of resistance analysis technique. These rules are more like guide notes and it is not recommended to strictly adhere to them, since this is a creative work and any mechanization can lead to a decrease in efficiency. But certain procedures are always useful for a normal situation.

One of the rules is that the analysis of resistance occurs before the analysis of content. The main task of psychoanalytic therapy is not to make the unconscious conscious, but to overcome resistance. Freud argued that the analyst's job is to analyze and interpret resistance. If he succeeds in this, then more and more new memories will open up to the patient, and new ligaments will be established.

There is no point in revealing the repressed if it is met by the same defensive forces that led to the neurotic conflict.

The therapist analyzes the resistance first, because the resistance will interfere with the formation of a reasonable "I" of the patient. Dealing with resistance can be more difficult than dealing with content. But if the resistance is not analyzed, then all analytical work can come to a standstill.

Another rule is a continuation of the previous rule. The meaning of this rule is that the patient determines the subject of the session.

Freud relates this rule to the fact that the therapist begins his analytic work from the surface of the patient's mind. The therapist should not impose his interests on the patient, as well as theoretical conclusions. The method of free association is also based on giving the patient a choice of the topic of the session. Very often the patient defines the topic by what he is silent about and what he avoids.

Allowing the patient to choose the subject of the session means allowing him to start each session with a demonstration of the material that bothers him, and also not to impose his interests on him.

Even if the material of yesterday's session seems to be very important, the therapist must withhold his interest and follow the patient as long as he is productive.

The patient chooses the topic of the session, and the therapist selects from this topic the material that, in his opinion, should excite him, even if he is not aware of it.

The exception to all general rules is that not every resistance needs to be analyzed. The study of small, temporary resistances can lead away from important material. The patient himself can cope with such resistances. This may give him an active role in overcoming his resistances. However, if the resistance stubbornly grows, then it should be analyzed.

Conclusion

In this course work, the concept of resistance and its various forms were considered in detail, as well as ways to work with it, and recommendations were given on the technique of its analysis. It is safe to say that resistance analysis is the cornerstone of psychoanalytic technique.

Resistance pursues the patient throughout the treatment. At first glance, it interferes with the patient's progress towards recovery, but at the same time it is an ally of the patient and the psychotherapist. The analysis of resistance plays a very important role in psychoanalytic therapy, because thanks to it the psychotherapist can understand the nature of the patient's neurotic conflicts. Its study allows you to get closer to understanding the basic functions of the "I".

Resistance can take many forms. It is extremely diverse, difficult to recognize and constantly changing its shape. The most important type of resistance encountered in analysis is the transfer resistance.

The function of resistance is to eliminate suffering. It operates through the "I" and therefore the analysis of resistance always begins with the analysis of the "I". This is one of the basic rules for analyzing resistance.

To successfully analyze resistance, the therapist needs to clarify the resistance, demonstrate it, and interpret it.

It should also be remembered that not all resistances need to be analyzed, as this can lead the therapist away from important material.

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March 19, 2013 --- Anna |

Attention! Here we are not talking about hats made of foil or felt. There will be serious material about real, hardened, important mechanisms for everyone resistance (protection) of the psyche. Everyone has their own preferred ways to protect themselves from negative experiences:

Depreciate (yes, that's all bullshit!)

Rationalize (and if you think about it, she's not so right)

Displace (you and I, dear, yesterday we quarreled so much! I don’t remember for what reason)

Compensate (and here is Ivan Ivanovich, my friend, such a fine fellow!)

and do a bunch of other cool stuff.

But now I want to talk about the main thing. Unlike the detention of criminals (“No move! Resistance is useless!”), our thoughts, feelings and experiences are not to blame for anything. So, resistance is useful!

Different psychotherapeutic areas in their own way call the resistance (protection) of the psyche.

In psychoanalysis it
substitution
Jet formation
Compensation
crowding out
Negation
Projection
Sublimation
Rationalization
Regression

In Gestalt therapy it is

introjection
Projection
Deflection
Confluence (fusion).

Strange and incomprehensible words, aren't they? In fact, customers do not really need to know what each of them means. All of them can be explained in simple terms, and these resistances (protections) of the psyche were named only for convenience and classification.

In any case, a person one way or another escapes from real experiences in the current process, from himself into some incomprehensible “something”. Either he looks at his neighbor, implying that he knows better, then he unites with this neighbor into “one whole”, then he accepts unchewed ones. Or even plunges into his own inner world, while sympathy, care, acceptance - here they are, nearby.

Three laws of resistances (or defenses) of the psyche:

1. Any resistance (protection) of the psyche appears for a reason.

Once upon a time, maybe a long time ago, or maybe just recently in a difficult situation psychic protection worked from overload. That is, it is important to understand that any situations in which defense mechanisms (psychic defense mechanisms) have formed are not the result of a good life. And it is up to each protected person to decide for himself whether what he is doing is normal. Whether he wants to continue avoiding the bearded ones or not trusting people in the first place. Or do something else.

That is, the protection of the psyche is absolutely a process. There are unique sets of defenses everyone has it.

2. Defense mechanisms (psychic defense mechanisms) spend more energy to maintain their existence than action.

In fact, protection, or resistance, is the energy that should have been directed to action. There is no action, but there is this force. To suppress it, to keep it, you need even more strength. In total, we spend twice as much as on the reaction. Should I be surprised to do something?

Thus, any resistance is, on the one hand, a struggle with windmills, an internal “no matter what happens” with a miscalculation of possible battles. On the other hand, if we acted impulsively, “just thought - already done”, that is, there was no resistance - it would be a rather chaotic, chaotic, poorly ordered world.

Resistance takes a lot of strength, but it allows you to act purposefully.

3. “Breaking is not building”, or why you shouldn’t run to get rid of resistance

Psychotherapists experienced in psychiatry have noted one unique property of psychic resistances. Namely, the ability to obscure the problem from improvised materials. He was treated for enuresis - cured, but now he gets up at night, cannot fall asleep. Normalized sleep - a nervous tic began. And so on, and in a circle.

That is why, having discovered the resistance of the psyche, there is no need to immediately run away from them!

They fell silent in the conversation, went into themselves - it means that it was necessary. But why - this is an interesting and very important question! Something in this situation was such that caused a defensive reaction!

It is about the last point that it is appropriate to recall folk wisdom: without sewing new pants, the old ones are not thrown away.

And in all cases - when a person suddenly “forgets” about a conversation or part of a conversation, when a person tends to “see an enemy in everyone”, or “hate redheads”, or turn to dogmas and rules (and without them - get lost and look for new ones, already for this occasion in life) - Gestalt therapy works very well.

Because it is "work with snail's steps". Within this approach, you can have time to understand what is happening, try (just try!) to change a drop, a little, and listen carefully to yourself: will such a step fit, or take a step back and walk in the other direction?

Gradually, 3 Freud had the idea that in every patient there is a certain force that resists treatment, that preserves hidden thoughts. There is only one goal - protection The task of the psychotherapist, as Freud believed, is precisely to overcome resistance. Over time, resistance was relegated to the forces that cause repression and became the cornerstone of psychoanalytic theory.

The second most important "obstacle" on the way to the unconscious, according to Freud, is the transfer effect. In this connection, Freud emphasized that "the transference, which seems to be prescribed to be the greatest hindrance to psychoanalysis, becomes its most powerful ally if each time its presence can be determined and explained to the patient" between the patient and the doctor. These relationships are based on the phenomenon of transference. The mechanism of this phenomenon is that the patient subconsciously identifies the doctor with the objects of his pregenital sexual attraction. In other words, the patient “transfers” the properties of the father and mother to the doctor with all the ensuing circumstances

“Transference consists in experiencing the emotions of urges, relations of fantasies and defenses in relation to a certain person in the present, which are not adequate in relation to him, since they are a repetition of the displacement of the reaction formed in relation to significant persons at an early age. The patient's susceptibility to transference reactions comes from his a state of instinctive dissatisfaction and the resulting need to search for possible discharges ”(Freud. 1912)

A distinction is made between positive and negative transference. Positive transference is manifested by a feeling of sympathy, respect, love for the analyst, negative - in the form of antipathy, anger, hatred, contempt, etc.

Freud also used the term transference neurosis - "the totality of the transference reaction in which analysis and analyst become the center of the patient's emotional life and the patient's neurotic conflict is revived in the analytic situation" (Freud 1905)

Transference neurosis is, on the one hand, a sign of the success of analytic therapy and, on the other hand, may be the cause of its failure. The transference neurosis serves as a transition from illness to recovery. Psychoanalytic technique is aimed at that. in order to maximize the development of transference neurosis, and then use it for therapeutic purposes. Here, such techniques of psychoanalysis as the relative anonymity of the analyst, his unobtrusiveness, the "rule of abstinence" and the "mirror analyst" are used

Transference neurosis can only be cured analytically; other treatments can only change its form.

Psychoanalysis claims that the cause of neurosis is a neurotic conflict between the "Id" and the Ego.

Neurotic conflict is an unconscious conflict between the urge - the id - striving for relaxation and the protection - the ego. impeding discharge or not allowing it to reach consciousness The conflict leads to an increase in instinctive impulses, as a result of which the Ego may be suppressed. In this case, involuntary “discharges” are possible, which manifest themselves as symptoms of neurosis

External psycho-traumatic factors also play an important role in the formation of neuroses, but, according to psychoanalysts, at a certain stage they come down to an internal neurotic conflict between the "Id" and the Ego.

The super-ego in a neurotic conflict can take the side of the ego or the side of the id. It is the super-ego that makes the ego feel guilty even for symbolic and distorted instinctive activity.

The pathogenic effect of neurotic conflict lies mainly in the need for the ego to constantly expend energy in order to prevent unacceptable instinctual urges to consciousness and motor activity. This leads to the eventual exhaustion of the ego. As a result, instinctive urges break through into consciousness and behavior in the form of neurotic symptoms.

It should be noted that the Ego in the fight against forbidden and dangerous impulses of the "Id" constantly resorts to various protective mechanisms. But various kinds of "protection" can be effective only if the periodic discharge of instinctive tensions is ensured.

The patient is asked, according to his abilities, to try to recall some thoughts and, without any logic or order, express them to the doctor. The patient is explained that he must say even such things that seem to him trivial, shameful unexpected, etc. This process of free association facilitates the identification of derivatives of the unconscious. The task of the therapist is to analyze these derivatives and convey their true meaning to the patient.

Despite the fact that a patient with a neurosis begins treatment consciously with a desire to be cured, there are forces that "protect" the neurosis and prevent treatment - the forces of resistance. The origins of resistance lie in the defensive forces of the ego which form the neurotic conflict. In the process of treatment, the same protective mechanisms “work” for the patient as in everyday life. Since resistance is nothing but a manifestation of the protective and distorted functions of the Ego, it is this resistance that must be analyzed first of all. It is no exaggeration to say that resistance analysis is the cornerstone of psychoanalytic technique.

Psychoanalysts believe that a patient with a neurosis unconsciously seeks objects to which he could transfer his libidinal and aggressive impulses. Transfer in the understanding of psychoanalysts is a liberation from the past, or rather an erroneous understanding of the present through the past. A competent analysis of transference reactions helps the patient to correctly understand the past and present, accept the therapist's point of view and understand the origins of his neurotic reactions.

Resistance analysis. Resistance in the understanding of psychoanalysts. it is the patient's internal forces that are in opposition to the psychoanalytic work and that protect the neurosis from therapeutic influence. In form, resistance is a repetition of the same defensive reactions that the patient used in his daily life. Resistance operates through the patient's ego, and. although some aspects of the resistance may be conscious, a large part of them remain unconscious.

The task of the psychoanalyst is to uncover how the patient resists, what and why. The immediate cause of resistance is the unconscious avoidance of such painful phenomena as anxiety, guilt, shame, etc. Behind these universal reactions in response to the intrusion into the patient's inner world are usually instinctive urges that cause a painful effect.

There are ego-syntonic resistances and resistances alien to the ego. In the first case, the patient usually denies the very existence of resistance to his analysis; in the second, the patient feels that the resistance is alien to him and is ready to work on it analytically.

One of the important steps in psychoanalysis is the translation of the resistance from the Ego-syntonic into the resistance alien to the Ego. Once this is achieved, the patient forms a working alliance with the analyst and becomes ready to work on his resistance.

A manifestation of resistance can be the patient's silence, his posture, affects (anger, stubbornness, shame, etc.), avoidance of topics, skipping sessions, the statement that he "does not have dreams" or "there are topics that I do not want to talk about."

Resistance can be conscious, preconscious, or unconscious.

The technical procedures of analysis are confrontation, clarification, interpretation, and careful elaboration.

To interpret means to make subconscious and preconscious mental events conscious. This means that the intelligent and conscious ego is aware of what has been forgotten.

For interpretation, the therapist uses both the information received from the patient and his intellect, his empathy, intuition, his theoretical baggage.

In interpreting the material of the patient, the analyst sets himself the following main goals:

To translate the patient's products into their unconscious content, that is, to establish a connection between the thoughts, fantasies, feelings, and behavior of the patient with their unconscious "ancestors";

The unconscious elements must be transformed into understanding into their true meaning;

“As insights are gained, they must be communicated to the patient.

The resistance analysis technique consists of the following basic procedures:

1 The process of awareness of resistance.

2 Demonstration of the fact of resistance to the patient

Let the resistance become demonstrative

Contribute to increased resistance

3 Clarifying the motives and forms of resistance

Find out what specific painful affect makes the patient resist;

What specific instinctive impulse is the cause of the morbid affect at the moment of analysis;

What specific form and method does the patient use to express their resistance.

4 Interpretation of resistance:

Find out what fantasies or memories are causing the affects and urges behind the resistance;

Explain the origins and unconscious objects of the identified affects of the urge or event.

5 Interpretation of the form of resistance:

Explain this and similar forms of activity during analysis and outside of analysis;

Follow the history and unconscious goals of this activity in the patient's present and past.

An experienced analyst knows that only a small part of the analysis can be done in one session. Most sessions end with just a vague realization that some kind of resistance is "working", and all the analyst can do in such cases is to point out to the patient that he is hiding something or avoiding some topic. When possible, the analyst tries to investigate these phenomena. At the same time, the diligence of the analyst himself should play a secondary role in the investigation and disclosure of unconscious phenomena. It is important not to rush into interpretation, as this may either injure the patient or lead to an intellectual rivalry between the patient and the analyst. In any case, this will increase the resistance. It is necessary to allow the patient to feel his resistance, and only then move on to interpreting it.

It must be explained to the patient that resistance is his own activity, that it is an action that he carries out unconsciously, preconsciously or consciously, that resistance is not (other or weakness of the patient and that the analysis of resistance is an important part of psychoanalytic treatment. Only when the patient himself determines that he resists, will answer the question why and what he is resisting, cooperation with him is possible only then a working alliance necessary for a qualitative analysis is created.

The basic rule of the interpretation technique is the following: analysis should proceed from resistance to content, from the conscious to the unconscious, from the “surface” to deep understanding.

Transfer analysis. Transference is a special type of relationship between patient and analyst based on feelings not for the analyst but for some person from the past “Transfer,” wrote Freud, “is repetition, a new edition of old objective relations” (Freud, 1905). Transference is a largely unconscious phenomenon. It can be made up of any component of feeling urge, fear, fantasy, attitude, and the like.

Transference reactions are observed in all people in everyday life, the analytic situation only contributes to the development of these reactions and uses them for therapeutic purposes.

The most typical characteristics of the transference reaction are irrelevance, ambivalence, inconsistency in intensity, and persistence.

The inappropriateness of the reaction in a particular situation is a sign that the person who causes this reaction (in this case, the analyst) is not the true object, and the reaction itself refers to some object from the past that is significant for the patient. Very often the patient falls in love with the analyst. The analyst then needs to explore the possible mechanisms behind this typical transference reaction: Did the patient fall in love to please you? Has he fallen in love with someone who looks like you?" Is his falling in love a sign of maturity? Is this reaction a way out of a difficult life situation?

All transference reactions are characterized by ambivalence - the coexistence of opposite feelings. Usually both love for the analyst and hatred for him, and sexual attraction, and disgust coexist.

Transfer reactions are usually unstable and unstable. Glover (1955) spoke of "floating" transference reactions, but sometimes they are, on the contrary, persistent and last for several years.

3. Freud, in his work On Hysteria, emphasized that if the analyst encounters a transference reaction, then he must firstly become aware of this phenomenon, secondly, demonstrate it to the patient and, thirdly, try to trace its origin.

The transference reaction is a relationship involving the three subjects of an object from the past and an object from the present. In a psychoanalytic situation, this is the patient, some significant person from the past, and the analyst.

According to Freud, transference and resistance are related to each other (hence the term transference resistance). Transference phenomena are essentially resistance to remembering. Resistance analysis is a daily job in analytic practice, with more time spent on analysis of transference resistance than on any other aspect of the work.

Freud coined and used the term transference neurosis in a dual sense. On the one hand, to designate a group of neuroses characterized by the patient's ability to form and maintain a relatively consistent and acceptable from the point of view of the ego, a group of transferences. On the other hand - to describe the transfer reactions themselves, subjected to analysis.

The transference neurosis incorporates all the features of the patient's illness, but it is an artificial illness that lends itself well to psychoanalytic intervention. In transference neurosis, the patient repeats his past neurotic symptoms, and the analyst is able to actively influence them.

The classical psychoanalytic attitude towards transference neurosis is to promote its maximum development. Experiencing the regressed past with the analyst is the most effective way to overcome neurotic defenses and resistances.

Freud divided transference into positive and negative.

In positive transference, the patient feels for the analyst such feelings as love, tenderness, trust, sympathy, interest, infatuation, admiration, reverence, and so on. Love is most common, especially if the analyst and the patient are of the opposite sex.

Thus, a patient who is in love with her analyst creates various problems that hinder psychoanalysis. First, her main goal is the satisfaction of her desires, and she resists analytical work on these emotions. Secondly, the ardent love of a female patient can evoke feelings of countertransference in a male analyst Freud gave unmistakable clear advice about such a situation (There can be no compromise here. unanalyzable This does not mean that the analyst should behave insensitively and heartlessly. The analyst can be tactful and sensitive towards the patient and her condition, and at the same time continue with his task of analyzing” (Freud, 1915)

Negative transference can manifest itself in hatred, anger, hostility, distrust, antipathy, indignation, bitterness, dislike, contempt, irritation, etc. Negative transference evokes stronger resistance than positive transference. positive

The form of transference largely depends on the behavior of the analyst. For example, analysts who behave toward patients with constant warmth and sensitivity will find that their patients tend to respond with a sustained positive transference. At the same time, these patients will have difficulty developing a negative, hostile transference. Such patients can quickly form a working alliance, but it will be narrow and limited and prevent the transference from expanding beyond the early positive form. On the other hand, analysts who tend to be aloof and rigid will often find that their patients quickly and persistently form nothing but negative transference reactions.

Naturally, the relationship between patient and analyst can never be equal. The patient is required to sincerely express his innermost emotions, impulses of fantasy and the analyst must remain a relatively anonymous figure. In other words, the analytic procedure is a painful, humiliating and one-sided experience for the patient. And if we want the patient to cooperated with us, we must explain to him the technique of analysis, our "toolkit".

The analyst needs to feel a certain closeness to the patient in order to be able to empathize, yet he must be able to step back in order to understand the patient's material in detail. there is an area of ​​the patient's life where he could not be admitted but this intimacy should not lead to Familiarity.

We have already said that transference and resistance are coupled with each other. Some transfer reactions cause resistance, others appear as resistance, and others serve as resistance against other forms of transference.

The technique of transference analysis is the same as that of resistance analysis. Sometimes the analyst's silence is enough to make the transference reaction demonstratively visible. In other cases, confrontation helps the patient to become aware of the transference. ) tries to avoid The goal of all these techniques is to demonstrate to the patient that something has a transference reaction. Next, the analyst will allow the transference reaction to develop until it reaches the optimal level of intensity. It is important to catch the moment when the transference is the maximum impulse for the patient, but not trauma. interpretation, it is important that the confrontation has an impact and the transference reaction is convincing for the patient game

The first stage of transference analysis is identification (identification). There are various types of identification, partial and general temporary and permanent ego-syntonic and ego-dystonic.

Identification can be stimulated artificially at first. When the analyst analyzes the material, he asks the patient to temporarily abandon his experiencing free-associating ego and observe with him. what he (the patient) is now experiencing In other words, the analyst asks the patient to temporarily and partially identify with him. At first, the patient does this only when the analyst asks him to do so, but later this state becomes automatic, preconscious. In this case, the patient himself realizes that he is doing something resists and asks himself "What and why?" This is an indicator of partial and temporary identification with the analyst which promotes a working alliance. When this happens, they say "Patient in analysis"

Often the identification remains after analysis. In positive transference, patients often adopt the analyst's mannerisms, traits, and habits.

The next stage in the analysis of the transference reaction is its clarification. This is the search for unconscious sources of transference. Here, the affective reactions of the repetition of the dream fantasy are important. Symbolisms in the patient's associations, etc.

The decisive step in psychoanalytic technique is interpretation. In the analyst's understanding, to interpret means to make an unconscious mental phenomenon conscious. This process is lengthy and not limited to one or two sessions. By demonstration and clarification, the analyst tries to enable the patient's ego to become aware of a psychological situation that is subconscious and unacceptable. "An interpretation is a hypothesis that requires the patient's responses to be verified" (Naelder, 1960) Clarification leads to interpretation, and interpretation in turn leads to further clarifications

There are many techniques for looking for unconscious sources of transference. Three of the most common are:

Tracking linked affects and impulses

Tracking objects (shapes) preceding the transfer

An exploration of transference fantasies.

The most effective technique is to track linked affects and impulses. In this case, we usually ask the patient the question “When and in connection with what did you have this feeling or impulse?” And then, listening to the answers, we gradually try to find the true source of these affects and motivation. At the second appointment, we ask the question “In relation to whom did you feel this way in the past?” And again begins the painstaking search for the source

Clinical experience shows that no interpretation, even if it is absolutely correct, does not give the proper and lasting effect without its repeated elaboration interpretation.

Common Mistakes in the Transfer Analysis Technique.

Non-recognition of the transference reaction (sexual attraction - love masked by irritability by hostility)

Countertransference reactions not realized by the analyst

Misinterpretation of material:

Insufficient elaboration of interpretations

Ignorance of the tradition, the foundations of the patient's culture, the discrepancy between the cultures of the patient and the analyst.

INTERNAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESISTANCE OF A HUMAN AND WAYS TO OVERCOME IT.

Resistance is the internal forces of a person that protect the body from any changes and changes in life.

Very often there is resistance in the course of psychotherapy, since it is work with a psychotherapist that starts the process of psychological changes in the human body.

Resistance is a repetition of the same defensive reactions that a person uses in his daily life. The main task when resistance appears is to understand exactly how a person resists, what and why.

The usual cause of resistance, as a rule, is the unconscious avoidance of such experiences as anxiety, guilt, shame, etc.

So what is the psychological INTERNAL RESISTANCE of a person?

We all know the situation when we put off important things for later, when we regret what we have already done, and it often happens that we stretch the execution of a simple task for hours, weeks, months, although we could do it much faster.

And what we just don’t go for, what tricks, tricks, self-deception, self-flagellation, just not to do what needs to be done, but for some reason we don’t really want to.

Usually, if a person sets a goal for himself, he begins to act. Well, if we have high motives, then we are effectively moving towards our goal and see successful results that please us. But sometimes it happens that good results do not appear immediately, and then we quickly give up, while we begin to think that “nothing will work out anyway.” This is due to the fact that subconscious mechanisms are turned on that lead us away from the previously planned path, which allegedly "insure" us against possible defeat and failure.

In such a scenario, the level of intentions and motives is greatly reduced, and we become inefficient. There can be 2 kinds of reasons for this inefficiency.

1st reason: fear of the unknown in the future, fear of making a mistake or being deceived. This fear, as a rule, is not realized and has its roots in our deep childhood, but "leads" us and our actions in adulthood. Having such a fear, we direct all our inner strength and energy to fight this fear and with ourselves, instead of directing it towards achieving new goals. This makes us ineffective.

2nd reason: fear of making a mistake and, as a result, not achieving the desired goal. This unconscious fear, as a rule, takes place if, in childhood, a person gains experience when he makes a mistake that leads to failure and receives a negative reaction from parents or other close people. In such a situation, the child is faced with such unpleasant experiences as resentment, anger, disappointment. Therefore, in order to protect oneself from re-experiencing the bouquet of these feelings, a person unconsciously becomes ineffective, succumbs to internal resistance and decreases motivation to achieve the desired.

Thus, it turns out that we, trying to protect ourselves from unpleasant consequences and failures, fall into our own unconscious trap. Which, on the one hand, protects us, and on the other hand, does not allow us to move forward and achieve the desired success. Thus, it turns out that, based on the experience of childhood experiences, we act and act as we did in childhood, forgetting that we have already grown up and can act differently.

As a result, we live most of our lives fighting with ourselves, or like little children, we are still afraid of being losers. And more often than not, it’s easier for us to do nothing than to set a goal and strive to achieve it. Therefore, the most important thing in overcoming internal resistance is high motivation in achieving the desired, which stimulates and helps to act and be effective.

Methods of struggle and ways to overcome internal resistance:

1. It is important for everyone to learn relaxation exercises.

All available means of dealing with anxiety, fears and obsessive thoughts is muscle relaxation.
Since when a person can completely relax his body, relieve muscle tension, then at the same time anxiety will definitely decrease and fears will recede, and, accordingly, in most cases, the intensity of obsessive thoughts will also decrease. After all, if a person knows how to relax, it means that he can rest regularly, therefore unconscious resistance decreases, which can be aimed at ensuring that the body rests more.

2. Learn to switch attention.

It is better to switch attention to what you like to do, it can be any pleasant activity, hobby or hobby.
You can switch attention to helping people, creative activities, social activities, housework. Any activity you enjoy is a good prophylactic against resistance.

3. Make yourself a positive installation.
That is, to change all your negative attitudes to directly opposite - positive ones.
You should not make statements about what is not achievable, ethical, as well as give yourself attitudes in order to raise self-esteem.

4. Find your hidden benefit from your resistance and discard it. Oddly enough, but a person suffering for any reason, very often has imaginary benefits from this.

Usually a person cannot or does not want to admit these benefits even to himself, because the very thought that he has a benefit from the cause of suffering seems terrible to him.

In psychology, this is usually called "secondary gain". In this case, the secondary benefit is the gain from existing pain and suffering, which exceeds the gain from solving the problem and further well-being. Therefore, in order to defeat one's own internal resistance, it is necessary to give up all the benefits that result from the work of resistance.

Good luck in overcoming your own internal resistance!

Natalia Kolodyazhnaya.

Shiryaev Igor and Larisa

What is psychological resistance? These are all the forces in the psyche of a person (client) that counteract an unpleasant situation or psychological help, because it is associated with the inevitability of painful sensations (psychological pain).

Why do we need psychological protection?

We have already mentioned above that protection, including psychological, protects any person from the past (psychotrauma, memories); or actual (immediately occurring situation) or future (hypothetical fears and experiences) psychological pain. Nature has created these protections for ... quick psychological self-help (approximately as a response to an illness or injury in the body). However, only a response to diseases and physical injuries of the body cannot cope, no matter how much you strengthen it and do not increase immunity. Therefore, doctors, medicines, surgical interventions, physiotherapy, sanatorium treatment and so on are needed. With the psyche, everything is almost the same - psychological defenses ONLY PROTECT, but do not “cure”, i.e. They don't solve the problem, it stays with you. Therefore, relying on "psychological immunity, psychological resistance" and being stable and enduring from this to the psychological ups and downs of one's life, alas, is not enough. After all, it is psychological defenses that make a person in ordinary life strange, inadequate, notorious, etc. They defended something, but they are unsuitable for normal life. It's like walking everywhere in armor - to work, to rest, to friends, and to sleep in armor and eat in armor and take a shower in armor, and so on. They will interfere with you, and cause bewilderment among others (this is in an easy case).

So in what cases do psychological defenses and resistances manifest themselves?

Past psychological trauma (stress)

Bad memories

Fear of any failure

Fear of any change

Desire to meet their childhood needs (infantilism)

Secondary benefit from your illness or condition

Too "hard" consciousness, when it punishes a person with incessant neurotic suffering

Unwillingness to change a “convenient” social position to an “uncomfortable” one - to be active, work on oneself, be sexy, be socially adaptive, earn more, change partners, and so on.

What are the consequences of psychological defenses if the psychological problem is not solved?

First, the adaptability of behavior is lost, i.e. the person behaves inappropriately to the situation. Communicates worse. Limits his lifestyle or it becomes very specific.

Further disadaptation grows. Psychosomatic illnesses (diseases caused by emotional trauma) may occur. Internal tension and anxiety are growing. The "script" of life begins to obey psychological protection from mental pain: a certain type of hobby, hobbies, profession.

Lifestyle becomes a form of "painless psychotherapy". Protective lifestyle becomes the most important, thus. there is a constant denial of problems and aggravation of maladaptation and psychosomatics.

What are psychological defenses?

Sewerage of aggression on other people (in verbal (verbal) or behavioral form) - speaks of a hidden sense of guilt.

Repression - pushing painful memories and feelings, impulses out of consciousness. A person simply “forgot”, “didn’t have time”, “didn’t do it”.

Denial - intentionally ignoring painful realities and acting as if they do not exist: "didn't notice", "didn't hear", "didn't see", etc. obvious stimuli, signals. (Scarlett (Gone with the Wind): "I'll think about it tomorrow").

Formation of a reaction (with obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive-compulsive neurosis) - an exaggeration of one emotional aspect of a situation in order to suppress the opposite emotion with its help. For example, to be extremely unctual, but in fact the desire to be free over time.

Transfer (transfer, movement) - a change in the object of feelings (transfer from a real, but subjectively dangerous object to a subjectively safe one). An aggressive reaction to the boss is transferred from the boss, who cannot be punished due to a number of psychological and other reasons, to the dog - as a weaker creature (the Japanese used this psychic protection in the invention of puppets for beating, replacing the boss); or transferring love or aggression to the therapist, instead of expressing these emotions to the real object that caused these feelings.

The opposite feeling - a change in impulse, its transformation from active to passive (and vice versa) - or a change in its direction (to oneself from another, or to another from oneself), for example, sadism - can turn into masochism, or masochism - into sadism.

Suppression (phobias) - restriction of thoughts or actions in order to avoid those that can cause anxiety, fears. This psychic protection gives rise to various personal rituals (an amulet for an exam, certain clothes for self-confidence, etc.).

Identification with the aggressor (imitation) is an imitation of what is understood as the aggressive manner of an external authority. Criticism by children of their parents in their own aggressive manner. Imitating the behavior of your boss at home with your family.

Asceticism is the denial of pleasure to oneself with the appearance of one's own superiority.

Intellectualization, rationalization (obsessive-compulsive neurosis) - excessive reasoning as a way of experiencing conflicts, a long discussion (without experiencing the affect associated with the conflict), a “rational” explanation of the causes of what happened, in fact, having nothing to do with a rational explanation.

Isolation of affect (obsessive-compulsive neurosis) - the suppression of feelings associated with a particular thought.

Regression - return to an early age (crying, helplessness, smoking, alcohol and other infantile reactions)

Sublimation is the transfer of one type of energy into another: sex - into creativity; aggression into political activity.

Splitting - the separation of positive and negative in the images of "I" and objects. A sharp change in “+” and “-” assessments of oneself and others is an unrealistic and unstable assessment. "+" and "-" coexist separately, but in parallel. For example, then a psychotherapist "+", then suddenly "-" and so on about any significant person.

Devaluation is the reduction of the important to a minimum and contemptuous denial of it.

Primitive idealization is an exaggeration of the power and prestige of another person.

Omnipotence is an exaggeration of one's own power.

Projection - endowing one's own conflicting or any other of one's impulses with another person.

Projective identification is a projection onto some person, over whom the person then tries to establish control. Projecting one's hostility onto others and expecting the same from them.

Repression is the suppression of desires.

Escapism is the avoidance of the purpose of the situation. This can be expressed literally, i.e. Behaviorally, a person can physically run away from a situation (from communication, from a meeting), or indirectly, avoid certain topics of conversation.

Autism is a deep withdrawal into oneself (out of the "game of life").

Reactive formation is the replacement of a behavior or feeling with an opposite behavior or feeling as a reaction to severe stress.

Introjection is the uncritical assimilation of other people's beliefs and attitudes.

Fanaticism is an imaginary fusion of the desired and the real.

This is not a complete list of all psychological defenses, but these are the most striking and common reactions. In any case, these reactions do not free a person from a psychological problem, but only temporarily protect, make it possible to "psychologically survive" in a critical situation.