# Psychoanalysis



## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

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## jimity (Jan 12, 2011)

A full psychoanlysis I think is suited for personality complexes such as borderline or early past trauma or unsuccessful parent-child relationships because of the transference phenomenon where past grievences can be looked at and worked out, and the powerful reliving of the past and the deep emotional insight during this process can alter the personality structure into something more healthy. I don't know if it could work for social anxiety disorder, I highly doubt it would do anything other than provide intellectual understanding of how you feel about yourself and others. 

When I first got into looking at anxiety to understand what the hell was wrong with me, psychoanalysis was the first thing I came across towards understanding anxiety. I found it quite interesting. The ego, id and superego and how trauma can cause the boundaries between the 3 aspects of personality to fault, causing socially unacceptable impulses to intrude into the ego, causing punishment from the superego, and triggering off anxiety and a defense mechanism such as projection or denial, and when these defenses fail, neurosis develops. Phobias, depression, unusual shyness etc can develop. I think Freud believed all anxiety stemmed from the trauma of birth. In that the baby was over-stimulated and that traumatic event laid the foundation for all future episodes of anxiety. But then I read about sexual repression and the oedipus complex and castration anxiety and I was like "nah, screw this crap".


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## Double Indemnity (Aug 15, 2011)

I would have gone to a psychoanalyst if it hadn't meant driving downtown. I'm all about analyzing my past and would have loved to have heard her theories on my parents/childhood. Let us know how it goes!


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

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## jimity (Jan 12, 2011)

I was thinking about repression of sexual feelings towards one's opposite sexed parent. I have never had sexual feelings towards my mother but if I say so Freudians will believe it is because of repression. The French psychoanalysists still believe tourette's syndrome is caused by repressed sexual feelings I think.


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## Ambitious (Apr 17, 2011)

I am in Psychoanalysis atm. It is a long-term therapy. I also study it is college - which has its advantages and disadvantages. Its all theory and the theory means that we all went thru the same 'sexual' development as each other. The word sex etc in the theories may put people off but dont let it. The phrasing of the theories sound completely bonkers but the psychosexual theory doesnt just mean sex, it stands for instincts, desires etc. This is one of the best therapies out there...............go for it......


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

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## offbyone (May 5, 2010)

Monroee said:


> Ambitious - I had never thought someone else on here would be in Psychoanalysis! How long have you been in it? Has it helped at all?
> 
> I'm kinda starting to doubt whether I can be in this type of therapy. I'm sure this is the therapy that I "should" be in. But its so hard for me to discuss anything that is even remotely sexually related. I just find the whole subject immensely gross. I'm extremely grossed out by sex & everything related to it.
> 
> I'm supposed to process what the doctor said with my therapist next week. But I'm afraid I won't be able to repeat what the doctor told me because I can't talk about this type of stuff. =/


Find someone safe on the board and keep it to pms? I'm sure it would be great therapuetically to discuss it. If you can't do that at least keep a diary for yourself. The act of putting your thoughts to writing can be really helpful by itself.

Edit: Doh I skimmed the post way too quickly and missed the part about you discussing it with your other therapist.


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## Ambitious (Apr 17, 2011)

Monroee said:


> Ambitious - I had never thought someone else on here would be in Psychoanalysis! How long have you been in it? Has it helped at all?
> 
> I'm kinda starting to doubt whether I can be in this type of therapy. I'm sure this is the therapy that I "should" be in. But its so hard for me to discuss anything that is even remotely sexually related. I just find the whole subject immensely gross. I'm extremely grossed out by sex & everything related to it.
> 
> I'm supposed to process what the doctor said with my therapist next week. But I'm afraid I won't be able to repeat what the doctor told me because I can't talk about this type of stuff. =/


i have been in it for only around 3months. Thats very short when it comes to psychoanalysis. Hmmm, has it helped at all? Not that im aware of anyway. I will say tho that with all the therapy ive had, i have never really expressed any emotions, and in this one ive gotten angry a few times, and one time i had a major outbrust. After my outburst i was left feeling so ashamed and i was afraid to go back. But when i went back things were ok. Plus i have been in a depression for the past 2 of those 3months so for now im not really any use. Progress in therapy is discrete anyways so its too early to tell.

What i did find really difficult is the fact that i have to start of the session. If i dont say anything, she wont say anything... So its like i have to think of something to say before i go in. Which is not a bad at all anymore as im used to this now. But its important to follow thru your session from the last. Like for example, if you didnt agree with something, if you felt awarkward about something, if you were glad you said something, if you were thinking of something during the week, etc. Because other wise, you may go in saying "i feel like crap today" "i had to do A,B,C during the week" - which is all fine but then your taking the sessions off track. When i had my outburst, i told her alot of things that just came flying out. One of those things was about the her as a therapist and the actual therapy. I told her that i needed some direction. If she lets me take direction, i will stray away from the topics that i find difficult to discuss. If you are finding this problem too then you should mention it.

I am having difficulty knowing if i should stay in this therapy bcoz of my therapist. Shes not someone who i 'want' to go and talk to. All the time ive been there and im still wondering wether im not suited to my therapist. Shes much older than me and i can tell we have very different lives. But on the other hand, this may not be a bad thing. I may actully gain more from it theraputically - not to build a bond with my therapist......but who knows?!

About speaking about things of a sexual nature, i suffer from hocd which is a nightmare and makes talking about those types of topics difficult. But i think the average person would find it difficult to open up to someone they dont really know. But what ive found is that bcoz its in the therapy setting and not with my mates, there is no pressure on me to think differently. I can say how i think and feel. I know its not really the easiest thing to talk about those topics, but with time hopefully it will get easier. It will be uncomfortable at the start but then you will get used to it. And if you have been shying away from discussing this, then maybe its time to not and see where your taken. The idea of the therapy is to get you to listen to you own thoughts as you speak them and your therapist helps you to put the pieces together.

Have you been told anything about what your therapy will entail? Or anything of that sorts?


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## Area88 (Oct 4, 2010)

Wow this an really interesting topic, I've thought about training to be a psychotherapist because it's goes much deeper than CBT, which deals with just surface behaviour. I've found the experiences in this thread really enlightening so thanks.


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## Ambitious (Apr 17, 2011)

Thought yous might be intrested in this...
http://www.selfpsychologypsychoanalysis.org/mollon.shtml

"Thus the 'true self' is an unknown self. Psychoanalysis is the work of releasing this unknown self."

Its a bit difficult to grasp due to language and terminology, but once read with understanding, alot makes sence.


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## offbyone (May 5, 2010)

How is your therapy going Monroe? I'm really curious how you feel about it.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

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## offbyone (May 5, 2010)

Monroee said:


> Actually - I'm only seeing this guy once a month. So - I haven't even seen him the second time yet. Obviously I would have preferred to see him more often than that. I'm not sure how we are even gonna make progress if I only see him once a month. :sus But I can't see him much more than that because he isn't covered by my insurance, so it's $175 a session. Ouch.
> 
> The one thing that irks me, is I think that he thinks my Bipolar Disorder is triggered by unknown factors in my subconscious. I'm there because I had trauma in my life, & I have a strange form of dissociation because of it. But - I happen to believe that my Bipolar is chemical. So - it's a little annoying that he doesn't believe that. At least I don't think he does. I have to clarify with him.


Oh wow yeah. I know someone who is bipolar for very similar reasons and if he's dismissive of that it would be more than annoying. Talking with him openly about it would be good.

I know you should be open-minded with therapy but dismissal of any kind so early on is really hard to deal with I think. I hope you can work it out.


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