Home
Up
Events Calendar
Feedback
Applications
| |
|
|
PASSIVITY IN
A CASE OF PSYCHOSIS
A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of
Heed University in Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
By
Joan Cela, CSW, NCPsyA
/s/___________________________________
Date____________
Susan
Jakubowicz, Ph.D., Chair, Hattie R. Rosenthal College of
Psychoanalysis
/s/____________________________________________________
Hyman
Spotnitz, M.D., Med.Sc.D.
/s/____________________________________________________
Leslie
Rosenthal, Ph.D.
HEED
UNIVERSITY
Milwaukee,
WI
|
|
ABSTRACT
|
This single single-case study explores the
character trait of passivity in a homeless, psychotic patient, and the
induced passivity in his analyst. It sought to discover a) if a psychotic, schizophrenic
patient, who wanted to remain passive and avoid work, could benefit from
analysis; b) how the analyst could conduct treatment while experiencing
the feelings of an early and strong narcissistic countertransference;
c) how induced feelings and their use could lead to the patient’s
progressive communication and enhance analytic process; and d) the role
that early feeling and drive states had in the organization of the
defense of passivity? Analysis
of verbatim material from randomly selected sessions generated the
following findings: The
modern analytic intervention of joining., as well as projective
identification, heightened and resolved the patient’s resistance of
passivity. Interventions
based on feelings helped the patient develop a narcissistic
transference, produce progressive communication, strengthen his ego, and
mature. In order to
accomplish this, the analyst had to continually study her
countertransference in a control analysis.
This study suggests that passivity functions both as a defense
against drives, impulses, and action, and as a means of avoiding loss of
control and lowering drive- tension states by deadening the rage behind
frustrated longings.
|
|
|
|
|
