تست اضطراب




در تست زیر تعیین کنید در همین لحظه چه احساسی دارید؟!
الف)1 امتیاز ب) 2 امتیاز ج) 3 امتیاز د) 4 امتیاز ه) 5 امتیاز

سوال:
1) به خود مطمئن هستم؟
الف) بسیار زیاد
ب) زیاد
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) کمی
ه) هرگز

2) می توانم بر افکار خود تمرکز کنم؟
الف) بسیار زیاد
ب) زیاد
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) کمی
ه) هرگز

3) آرام هستم؟
الف) بسیار آرام
ب) تا حدود زیادی آرام
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) کمی آرام
ه) هرگز

4) عصبی هستم
الف) هرگز
ب) بسیار کم
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) خیلی
ه) همیشه

5) ناراحت هستم
الف) هرگز
ب) بسیار کم
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) خیلی
ه) همیشه

6) بدنم همواره مرطوب است
الف) هرگز
ب) بسیار کم
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) خیلی
ه) همیشه

7) نفسم منظم است
الف) هرگز
ب) بسیار کم
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) خیلی
ه) همیشه

8) احساس تنش در معده دارم
الف) هرگز
ب) بسیار کم
ج) تا حد متوسط
د) خیلی
ه) همیشه
حالا امتیاز ها را با هم جمع کرده و روی امتیاز های پایین کلیک کنید؟!
امتیاز بین 32 تا 50
امتیاز بین 24 تا 32
امتیاز کمتر از 24

sleep




Considering Creativity The dream canvas
Are dreams a muse to the creative?
BY TORI DeANGELIS Monitor staff -->Print version: page 44
Popular literature abounds with examples of famous people who have used dreams to aid their creations. Billy Joel reports dreaming the music to his pop tunes in orchestral form, novelist Stephen King turned a recurring childhood nightmare into the book "Salem's Lot," and Salvador Dali was so obsessed with the creative potential of dreams that he deliberately fell asleep with a spoon in his hand. When he nodded off, the spoon would clatter to the ground and wake him up, providing fresh dream images for his surrealistic paintings.
But from a scientific perspective, there is scant evidence to connect these compelling areas. While recent neuroimaging studies have examined the brain regions responsible for dreaming, for example, parallel research on dreams and the brain in the throes of creation is not yet under way.
That said, intriguing new work suggests possible links between dreams and creativity. Aside from indicating that dreams may help ordinary people find creative solutions to everyday problems (see page 48), recent research shows that fantasy-prone people may have higher dream recall than others. It also suggests that dreams themselves--with their idiosyncratic imagery, colorful extrapolations on the same theme and nonjudgmental stance--model at least one aspect of the creative process, the free association that precedes actual creation.
"To be creative, you need a way to let those circuits float free and really be open to alternatives that you would normally overlook," explains Robert Stickgold, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard University who has conducted seminal studies on dreams, sleeping and learning. "Several features of REM sleep predispose the brain to this activity."
A dream-prone personality?
It may be the case that people who use dreams for creative purposes naturally have greater access to the dream world than others, research suggests. Two streams of literature support this contention: One links specific personality characteristics such as openness, proneness to fantasy and schizotypic tendencies with the penchant to remember and report dreams; the other connects creativity and these same personality variables.
Findings reported in the May issue of Personality and Individual Differences (Vol. 34, No. 7) strengthen the association. In one of the longest and most comprehensive studies on dream recall and personality factors to date, University of Iowa psychologist David Watson, PhD, collected dream-recall reports from 193 undergraduate students every day for three months, as well as data on personality variables, sleep schedules and the students' alcohol and caffeine intake.
Personality characteristics were by far the most significant factor in dream recall, says Watson. Those prone to absorption, imagination and fantasy were much more likely than others to say they remembered their dreams and to report dreams with vivid imagery, he found. The same group also scored higher than others on the "openness" scale of the five-factor personality inventory. The scale describes those who are open to new experiences and take a rich, complex approach to life--"the 'art film' circuit," as Watson puts it.
Watson, an empiricist, says that he was surprised by the finding. "I actually thought dream recall was going to be related to stress and anxiety, because the literature indicates that the things that disturb sleep tend to promote dream recall," he says. Instead, his data support the idea that there's a type of person more likely to tune into their dreams than others, he notes.
A related study in the September Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 85, No. 3) by psychologist Shelley Carson, PhD, a lecturer at Harvard University, found that 182 Harvard undergraduates who scored high on creative achievement tests also tested lower on "latent inhibition," the ability to filter out internal and external stimuli that aren't relevant to current goals or survival. The study is the first to directly test the association between creativity and low latent inhibition, which also has been linked to mental disorders such as schizophrenia, schizotypal personality disorder and proneness to psychosis.
The findings suggest that creative people may naturally "take in" more extraneous material than others, including, possibly, their dream material, Carson notes. There may well be biological underpinnings to these tendencies--possibly related to the mesolimbic-dopamine system--which she and others will likely explore in the future, she notes.
Dreaming resembles creativity
There may be a good metaphorical reason that artists are so attached to their dreams. In the broadest sense, dreams mimic a critical stage of creativity: brainstorming the range of possibilities, or what psychoanalysts call free association, says Harvard's Stickgold.
Neuroimaging studies by neurologist Allen R. Braun, MD, of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, neuropsychologist Mark L. Solms, PhD, of St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital, and others show how this might happen. In essence, the brain areas responsible for executive control, logical decision-making and focused attention shut down during dreaming, while sensory and emotional areas come alive. In addition, short-term memory functions are deactivated, so that the emotional content of images remains, but the waking context does not.
At least one study by Stickgold supports the idea. In 1999 research reported in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (Vol. 11, No. 2), Stickgold and colleagues woke 44 undergraduate students from REM sleep--the deepest stage of sleep most strongly associated with dreaming--and immediately gave them a word-priming task. Subjects were shown a word, and immediately after, another word or cluster of nonsense letters. Subjects were then asked to say if the second item was a word or not.
Previous studies of normally awake subjects showed that when the word pairs were strongly related--as with "wrong" and "right," for example--subjects could identify the second target word faster than if the words weren't strongly related--as with "wrong" and "house," for example. But when they were tested immediately after being awakened from REM sleep, the exact opposite happened. The weaker primes produced faster responses.
"It's as if the brain is preferentially searching out and activating weak associates, unexpected paths, instead of the obvious, normally strong associates," Stickgold says.
This unique activity provides both a nice metaphor and a possible explanation for the way artists and other creative people operate: in essence, thinking outside the box, whether consciously or unconsciously, Stickgold comments.
"It is as if the [dreaming] brain has been tuned to a state for finding and testing and thinking about new associations," Stickgold says. "To paraphrase Robert Frost, the brain takes the path less traveled by, and that makes all the difference
http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov03/canvas.html."

Islamic Psychology




Attitude of a Muslim towards DepressionMuhammad Zafar AdeelJuly 2002
If you have grown tired of life, or wish to go someplace where you can be alone, or you are always nervous, stressed and gloomy, you are probably suffering from depression. One could expect such a person to be suffering from this ‘illness’ who is incapable of fulfilling his needs or a time has come in his life that he feels totally helpless, defeated and lonely, either as a result of an unfortunate death, a missed opportunity, a financial loss, persistent feeling of depravity, or some other unexpected disappointing experience. This can invariably contribute towards feelings of jealousy, fear, cowardice, pessimism and insecurity. A heightened form of this ‘illness’ could force the sufferer into committing suicide or even setting himself ablaze. It is a pity though that today this ‘illness’ has become rampant at every level of society and its disastrous effects result in the form of all sorts of hideous crimes depending upon the circumstances and history of the sufferer.
My objective in this article is not to delve into the causes of depression, rather to focus on just the ‘illness’ itself from a different perspective. The analysis is from a religious perspective and becomes all the more important for a Muslim since the word despair should not exist in his dictionary.
In layman’s terms, depression can be of two forms: one finds its roots in the chemical disorientation of the sufferer whereas the other can be attributed to social circumstances. A psychiatrist can help recuperate the victim belonging to the former category whereas a psychologist can attend to cases forming the latter group.
From a social viewpoint it can be said without any misgivings that a true Muslim can never suffer from this ‘disease’. The answer lies in this fundamental understanding, which governs (or should govern) a Muslim’s life: his life with all its ups and downs is a trial. The Qur'ân emphatically says:Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must you return. (Qur’ân 21:35)
It also points out: No burden do We place on any soul, but that which it can bear. (Qur’ân 6:152)
Therefore for a Muslim, difficulties are perhaps as vital for the continuation of life as is oxygen for breathing. It cannot be that life goes on at a relative level of poverty or affluence till the end. The crests and troughs of this wave of life have an implicit existence. Every rise is sooner or later followed by a fall.
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief. Verily, with every difficulty there is relief. (Qur’ân 94:5-6)
There are some for whom the sea is more turbulent hence the rise and fall of the tide is more marked. There are others who experience this rise and fall in a manner that almost defies the existence of any alteration. Despite the odds in a given condition, a true Muslim with his strong faith in the Almighty, observes the silver lining, something that promises him a more desirable and everlasting reward in the Hereafter:
Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the harvest that you sow; but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere; who say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘To God We belong, and to Him is our return’. They are those on whom [descend] blessings from God, and mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance. (Qur’ân 2:155-7)
The torture suffered by Bilal (rta) is well known amongst the Muslims; clad in steel armour he was made to lie down on the burning sand. In addition, the Quraysh dragged him around in the hope that he would renounce his faith. Yet every time ‘Ahad’ was the only cry that came out of his mouth. History shows us that Bilal’s patience was rewarded for he became the Mu’adhdhin of the Prophet (saws) (despite the fact that his pronunciation was not the best amongst the Companions of the Prophet (sws)).
The idea is that for a Muslim, each incident has both a bright side and a dull side to it. It is part of his faith that Allah knows everything that lies ahead. And that if apparently there is no remuneration from Allah in this life then surely: ‘God never fails in His promise’ (Qur’ân 3:09).
For Allah says in the Qur'ân:Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, -- they are the best of creatures. Their reward is with God: Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein for ever; God well pleased with them, and they with Him: all this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher. (Qur’ân 98:7-8)
Hence, the Qur'ân says:Truly no one despairs of God’s soothing mercy, except those who have no faith (Qur’ân 12:87)
It is important to understand that seeking help in times of despair is something that Allah expects from us, for we are mere creations:When My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed close [to them]: I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (Qur’ân 2:186)
Even the Prophets of Allah called for help in times of gloom for that was for us to understand that they are guided human beings who pray and praise their Lord for help as well. The Prophet Jacob (sws) said:I only complain of my distraction and anguish to God. (Qur’ân 12:86)
When, during his stay in Makkah, the Prophet (saws) was persecuted by the Quraysh, Allah said:Bear, then, with patience, all that they say, and celebrate the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before [its] setting. And during part of the night, [also] celebrate His praises, and [so likewise] after the postures of adoration. (Qur’ân 50:39-40)
Again, when Prophet (sws) hid in the cave of Thawr with Abu Bakr (rta), he comforted his companion by saying:Have no fear, for God is with us (Qur’ân 9:40)
In the end, it has to be said that the so called ups downs are a necessary part of our lives which are a blessing in disguise for they can help us earn greater rewards in the Hereafter. Man on the contrary puts up a shameful performance: Now, as for man, when his Lord tries him, giving him honour and gifts, then says he, [puffed up]: ‘My Lord has honoured me’. But when He tries him, restricting his subsistence for him, then says he [in despair]: ‘My Lord has humiliated me!’ (Qur’ân 89:6-15)
We do not have to think as to what we should be doing in times of difficulty (or in times of joy for that matter). The Qur'ân has already done the job of identifying a path for us; we merely have to realize what it is and then tread that path:Truly man was created very impatient. Fretful when evil touches him. And niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to Prayer. Those who remain steadfast on their prayer. (Qur’ân 70:19-23)
And finally:O you who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for God is with those who patiently persevere (Qur’ân 2:153)

وسواس



وسوايهاي فكري و وسواسهاي عملي چه چيزهايي هستند؟
اختلال وسواس فكري عملي اغلب موضوع لطيفه ها، بذله گويي ها و شوخي ها بوده است. بر خلاف الگوهاي كليشه اي، اختلال و سواس فكري عملي واقعي موضوعي خنده دار نيست. وسواس يك اختلال اضطرابي داراي پايه زيست شناختي است كه اغلب از كودكي شروع مي شود و ممكن است الگوي خانوادگي داشته باشد. اختلال وسواس فكري – علمي با وسواسهاي فكري، رفتارهاي اجباري و يا هر دو آنها مشخص مي گردد. وسواسهاي فكري افكار يا تجسم هاي نا خوانده اي هستند كه به صورت مكرر وارد آگاهي مي گردند. در حالي كه رفتارهاي اجباري، در ظاهر امر رفتارها و عادات مكرر غير قابل توقف هستند كه شخص باهدف كاهش ناراحتي و اضطراب خود آنها را انجام مي دهد. هم افكار وسواسي و هم رفتارهاي اجباري معمولاً توسط خود مبتلايان به آنها غير واقع گرايانه و غير منطقي ارزيابي مي شوند، امّا مبتلايان، خود را ناتوان از متوقف كردن آنها مي دانند.
نشانه هاي وسواس
گرچه انواع افكار و رفتارها در اغلب موارد از شخصي به شخص ديگر فرق مي كند، بعضي از الگوها مشترك هستند. به عنوان مثال، مبتلايان به وسواس امكان دارد در "وارسي هاي" مكرر درگير گردند. اين عمل ممكن است بصورت وارسي درها و كليدها جهت كسب اطمينان، خاموش كردن همه وسايل، قرار دادن كليدها در مكان (خاصي) و از قبيل آنها باشد. بعضي از مردم ممكن است بصورت افراطي از طريق دست شستن و تميز كردن مكرر از ميكروبها اجتناب نمايند. بعضي از مردم ممكن است تشريفات رفتاري ويژه اي در مورد فعاليتهاي روزمره داشته باشند، از قبيل: پوشيدن يا در آوردن لباس به شيوه و نظم خاص، وارد شدن يا ترك كردن خانه يا اتاق به شيوه اي معين، سعي در تكرار (يا اجتناب از تكرار) يك عمل يا فكر خاصي به تعداد مشخص جهت بدست آوردن خوشبختي و غيره. در بعضي موارد رفتارهاي مرتبط با ساير اختلالها، ازقبيل بي اشتهايي عصبي، پر اشتهايي و جنون موكندن (كندن موها، كندن مژه ها) مي توانند كيفيت وسواس به خود بگيرند.
خيلي مهم است كه به اين نكته توجه داشته باشيد كه بسياري از مردم بعضي از الگوهاي رفتاري و فكري فوق را در دوره اي از زندگي خود تجربه مي كنند، بدون اينكه به اختلال وسواس فكري – عملي مبتلا باشند. به عنوان مثال، وارسي درها جهت ايجاد امنيت بيشتر و يا شستن دستها بعد از مواجه شدن با ميكروبها امري طبيعي است.
نشان دادن درجاتي از پاكيزگي و توجه به جزئيات متناسب به نظر مي رسد و حتي به هنگام رشد و بالغ شدن به عنوان نشانه هايي از بلوغ در كودكان در نظر گرفته مي شود. همين طور، هر كسي يك شيوه و اسلوب براي انجام كارهاي خود دارد. فقط زماني كه افكار و رفتارها به طور افراطي مكرر بود، و يا به جاي كمك، در فعاليتهاي روزمره زندگي تداخل كرد، بايد به اختلال وسواس مظنون بود. بنابراين، افراد داراي اختلال وسواس زمان زيادي را صرف انجام تشريفات يا اجتناب از رفتارهاي (خاص) مي كنند، طوري كه مسائل مهم زندگي شان مورد غفلت قرار مي گيرد. آنها آنقدر زمان صرف بهداشت شخصي خود مي‌كنند كه از كلاس جا مي مانند. آنها ممكن است آنقدر نگران ميكروب و آلودگي باشند كه از صرف غذا در سالن غذا خوري و به همراه دوستانشان خودداري نمايند. آنها همچنين ممكن است به خاطر ترس و شرمندگي از فاش شدن نشانه هاي وسواسي شان در پيش ديگران از فعاليتهاي اجتماعي خودداري كنند.
دريافت كمك
اگر شما فكر مي كنيد كه خودتان و يا كسي كه شما مي شناسيد، از اختلال وسواس رنج مي‌برد (مي‌بريد) با يك متخصص بهداشت رواني مشاوره نماييد. اختلال وسواس فكري ـ عملي، اختلالي است كه مي توان به آن از طريق مشاوره، رفتار درماني و يا دارو درماني كمك كرد. دفتر مشاوره از همكاري متخصصيني در حوزه بهداشت روان بهره مند است كه مي توانند به افراد مبتلا به وسواس، در غلبه بر آن كمك هاي تخصصي قابل ملاحظه اي ارائه دهند. (در صورت احساس نياز و يا مظنون بودن به وجود وسواس در خودتان با دفتر مشاوره تماس حاصل نماييد.)

صفحه دوم سایت

page namber 2 -- صفحه دوم
http://www.mellatkhah-clinic2.blogspot.com

پاسخ به مسائل جنسی کودکان










حساس بودن والدين نسبت به ويژگیهاى رفتار جنسى كودكان خود و اينكه چگونه و از چه سنى بايد كودك خود را دراين زمينه آگاه كنند تا دركسب هويت جنسى خويش موفق باشند، محور بخش نخست گفتگو بود كه از نظر خوانندگان محترم گذشت. دكتر قاسم زاده در واپسين بخش اين گفتگو به ساير موقعيتهايى اشاره مى كند كه در مواجهه والدين با كودكان و در خصوص رفتارهاى جنسى بايد مورد تأمل و دقت قرار گيرد. اين گفتگو را بخوانيد.
* چنانچه پدر و مادرى پاسخ سؤالى را ندانند، بايد چه برخوردى داشته باشند؟
نه تنها در مورد مسائل جنسيتى، ممكن است در زمينه ديگرى هم سؤال كنند كه پدر و مادر جوابش را ندانند. آنها مى توانند به صراحت و سادگى ابراز كنند كه نمى دانند و بگوييد كه بيا با هم به سراغ كتابى برويم و جواب سؤالاتمان را بگيريم و يا با همراهى، او را به سمت مشاور يا معلمى راهنمايى كنند كه در اين صورت، نوعى انعطاف پذيرى هم به بچه ها ياد مى دهيم كه اگر آنها هم چيزى نمى دانند، به دنبال اطلاعات غلط و منابع نادرست نروند. يكى از تكنيكهاى ديگر در موقعيتهايى كه والدين جواب سؤال را نمى دانند يا غافلگير مى شوند، حفظ خونسردى است و سپس با تسلط به نفس خود، برگشت سؤال به طرف مقابل است كه مثلاً گفته شود كه خودت در اين مورد چى فكر مى كنى؟ كه هم از اين طريق ميزان اطلاعات او را مى فهميم و اينكه اطلاعاتش را از كجا به دست آورده و هم در آن زمان مى توانيم جوابى كه درخور نياز و متناسب با سن او باشد، هرچند ساده بيان كنيم. آنچه توصيه مى شود، اين است كه در اين موقعيتها هيچگاه نبايد دروغ گفت و يا سؤالى را سركوب كرد. والدين مى توانند تا حدى كه مى دانند، پاسخگو باشند و بقيه اطلاعات را به زمان ديگر موكول كنند.
* خانم دكتــــر! روشـــهاى ترساندن از رفتارهاى جنســـى و يا برخوردهاى سركوبگـــرانه يا حتى سهل گيـــرانه چه عواقبى مى تواند در پـــى داشته باشد؟
عواقب بسيار مضرى در پى دارد. وقتى كودك نياز به گرفتن پاسخ خود را احساس كند و به نوعى با سركوب مواجه شد. او كه دست نمى كشد، وقتى كنجكاوى او ارضا نشد، به دنبال راههاى ديگر مى رود يا از همسالان خود مى پرسد و يا در شبكه هاى اينترنتى، اطلاعاتى به دست مى آورد و حالا اينكه چه اطلاعاتى و از چه طريق و به چه ميزانى، خدا مى داند و اين روش تأثيرات بسيار بدى بر شخصيت كودك مى گذارد؛ چرا كه ممكن است اطلاعات به دست آمده به هر طريق مناسب با نيازهاى سنى او نباشد و حتى در مواردى موجب بلوغ زودرس كودكان شود. به عبارتى هر پدر و مادرى بايد بدانند كه اگر جواب سؤال كودكان را سركوب كنند و يا به تمسخر و خنده بگيرند، كودك به دنبال راه ديگرى جهت يافتن پاسخش مى رود.
يا در بسيارى از خانواده ها براى بازداشتن بچه ها از آگاهى در مورد ويژگيها و رفتارهاى جنسى از روشهاى ترساندن استفاده مى كنند كه اصلاً كارساز نيست. بخصوص در مورد دختران در هنگام ازدواج عواقب خود را نشان مى دهد. خيلى وقتها وقتى عدم برقرارى ارتباط درست از جانب زنان در زندگى خانوادگى پيگرى مى شود و به اين نكته پى مى برند كه در دوران كودكى و نوجوانى، آنها را از چيزى ترسانده اند يا سؤالى يا كنجكاوى آنها در مورد رفتار و ويژگيهاى جنسى سركوب شده است. در واقع از كودكى يا نوجوانى، روابط و رفتارهاى جنسى را به عنوان يك تابوى بد و يك الگوى نادرست تلقى كرده اند، بنابراين روابط آنها با همسرانشان دچار اشكال مى شود. همانطور كه اشاره كردم، رفتارهاى جنسيتى در تمام عمر در زندگى ما نقش دارند و اگر در سن كودكى و نوجوانى به درستى آموزش داده نشود، خود را در بزرگسالى به صورت انحرافاتى ذهنى، روانى و جسمى نشان مى دهند.
* چنانچه پـــــدر و مـــادرى نسبت به گفتگــــو درباره اينگـــــونه رفتارها معذب باشند، چه بايد بكنند؟
ببينيد! اين حالت در جوامع شرقى و به عبارتى سنتى مثل جامعه ما وجود دارد. مسائل جنسى با يك نوع منفى بودن، يك نوع بد بودن و زشتى يا حداقل صحبت در مورد آن، با يك نوع ممانعت درونى همراه است. بنابراين يك امر فرهنگى ـ اجتماعى است. ولى نبايد چنين باشد و اگر والدينى چنين احساسى دارند، بايد بدانند ميان خصوصى بودن مسائل جنسى و ممنوعيت درباره گفت و گو در مورد آن، تفاوت وجود دارد. به عبارتى ما نبايد هيچ ممنوعيتى چه از نظر اطلاعى كه خودمان مى خواهيم به فرزندان بدهيم و چه از نظر سؤالاتى كه بچه ها در اين زمينه دارند، داشته باشيم. حتى اگر مسائلى هم پيشرس است و مورد كنجكاوى بچه ها قرار مى گيرد، نبايد معذب بود و از پاسخ دادن اجتناب كرد و احساسات خود را مخفى نمود، بلكه والدين مى توانند در قدم اول اطلاعاتى ساده و كوتاه، متناسب با سن كودك به او بدهند و اطلاعات ديگر را به زمان ديگر وعده دهند، ولى بچه ها نبايد از اينكه در مورد مسائل جنسى مى خواهند اطلاعات كسب كنند، احساس ناراحتى كنند و يا حس كنند كه پدر يا مادرشان از پاسخگويى معذب مى شوند.
البته بايد به اين نكته هم اشاره كنم كه مسائل جنسى يك مسائل خصوصى است. بنابراين به نوعى، بايد به بچه ها بخصوص بزرگتر كه مى شوند، آموزش داده شود كه از نظر نوع سؤال و مكان سؤال بايد رعايت كرده و هر سؤالى را در هر جايى از والدينشان نپرسند. در جامعه ما كه تا حدى سنتى است و حد و حدودهايى براى اين مسائل وجود دارد، نبايد اين طور برداشت شود كه پدر و مادرها نيز در پاسخگويى به فرزندانشان در مورد مسائل جنسى معذب هستند. بايد تمرين كرد و در عين حال هم از خصوصيات مراحل رشد آگاه شد. اگر هر پدر و مادرى خود را به انواع توانمنديها، چه از نظر محتوى سؤالات و چه از جهت مهارت در هدايت پاسخ مجهز كند و بپذيرد كه آگاهى فرزندان از ويژگيها، رفتارها و مسائل جنسى لازم و ضرورى است، ديگر معذب نخواهد بود.
* آمـــــوزش امور جنســــى شامل چه بخشهايى است؟
اكثر خانواده ها بر اين باورند كه آموزش امور جنسى تنها در اين خلاصه مى شود كه به كودكان آموزش دهند كه كودك چگونه متولد مى شود، اما شايد اين ساده ترين بخش آموزش است. البته كه در هر سنى اين امور و بخشها مى تواند متفاوت باشد. مثلاً در دوران كودكى، بچه ها جدا از اينكه اول هويت خودشان را مى خواهند بدانند، در مورد تفاوتهاى جنسى و آشنايى با بهداشت اندامهاى جنسى نيز كنجكاوند. به تدريج در سن بلوغ به دنبال بيشترين اطلاعات هستند. آموزش در مورد ساختار جسمى زن و مرد، حالتهاى عاطفى دوران بلوغ، بيماريهايى كه مربوط به مسائل جنسى است، وظايفى كه مربوط به جنسيتشان است، به عبارتى نقشها و تفاوتهاى مربوط به امور جنسى، خويشتندارى در امور جنسى، چگونگى برقرار كردن رابطه با ديگران و زيان جسمى و روانى است. يكى ديگر از مسائل دوران بلوغ كه بچه ها بايد بدانند، روابط صحيح و درست بين دو جنس است. چون تا دوران كودكى، روابط معمولى است، روابط بين دختر و پسر از نظر جنسيتى، خيلى برايشان تفاوتى ندارد. ولى در دوران بلوغ، تمايل به برقرارى ارتباط خيلى بيشتر است و از آنجا كه اين ارتباط طبيعى و ضرورى است، بايد قبل از آن، يا در هنگام بلوغ، رفتارهاى جنسيتى درست و مناسب را بياموزند. مثلاً مى توان در اين سنين، از طريق فعاليتهاى گروهى و همكارى با هم، كه كاملاً هدايت شده باشد، نوع ارتباط سالم با يكديگر را آموزش ببينند.
* شما به اهميت سن بلــــوغ اشاره كرديد، بهتــــرين شـــروع مكالمه براى آشنا كردن بچه ها با مسائل جنسيتى در اين سن، چه مى تواند باشد؟
در سن بلوغ، فرض بر اين است كه بچه ها، آن اطلاعات اوليه سن بلوغ را داشته باشند در واقع آنچه مهم است در ابتدا در اين سنين، با تغييرات بلوغ آشنا شوند و همين صحبت از تغييرات بلوغ مى تواند شروع مكالمه و به تدريج محور صحبت باشند. اينكه گفته شود كه يك فرد در حين بلوغ، يك سرى تغييراتى از نظر جسمى، روانى و عاطفى كرده و خلق و خوى او تغيير مى كند. به عقيده من، حتى بهتر است شروع صحبت از اين رفتارها باشد تا رفتارهاى جنسيتى. چرا كه اگر نوجوانى در آستانه بلوغ به خوبى اين مرحله از رشدش را درك كند و به درستى اين مسير را طى كند تا به دوره جوانى برسد، يقيناً بهتر مى تواند خيلى از مسائل، ويژگى ها و رفتارهاى جنسيتى بعدى را درك كند و با آنها آشنا شوند. ولى آنچه در اين قضيه مهم است، تدريجى گفتن آن است. والدين بايد آگاه باشند كه نبايد هيچ اطلاعاتى از جمله اطلاعات دوران بلوغ را يكدفعه به فرزند خود بگويند. بلكه به تدريج به مرور زمان و در وقت مناسب بايد اين اطلاعات ارائه شود. حتى در اين سنين نيز مى توان از كتابهاى مناسب استفاده كرد. بدين صورت كه ابتدا مقدمه اى در مورد كتاب و موضوع آن گفته شده و توضيحاتى ساده و كوتاه داده شود. سپس كتاب را به او بدهند و سپس فرزند خود را از پاسخگويى به هر سؤالى كه هنگام مطالعه كتاب برايش پيش مى آيد مطمئن كنند.
* آيا خانــــواده تنها از طــــريق گفتگو، طرح سؤال و يا پاسخ به پــــرسش مى تواند در آموزش رفتارهاى جنسيتـــى نقش بازى كند؟
خير، تنها نقش خانواده را نمى توان محدود به همين زمينه ها دانست. خانواده به دو صورت نقش بازى مى كند. يكى به صورت مستقيم. يعنى همين زمينه ها كه شما ذكر كرديد مثل طرح پرسش يا پاسخ به سؤالات فرزندان و ديگرى به صورت غيرمستقيم، و آن الگوهايى است كه ارائه مى دهد. مثلاً احترامى كه پدر و مادر براى هم قائلند، يك سرى ارزشهايى را به بچه ها منتقل مى كنند كه نه تنها در دوران كودكى بلكه در دوره بزرگسالى، در روابطشان با جنس مخالف تأثيرگذار است. از طرف ديگر اين ارزشها در خانواده مى تواند، بينش بچه ها را نسبت به رفتارهاى جنسى و نقشهاى جنسيتى وسعت داده و تجربه هاى ارزشمندى در آينده كسب كنند.
* غيــــر از منبع خانــــواده، چه منابع ديگرى مى توانند در آگاه كـــــردن فــــرزندان در اينگونه مــــوارد مؤثر باشند؟
ببينيد منابع آموزشى چون آمادگى، پيش دبستانى و مدارس مى توانند در صورت درست عمل كردن در اين زمينه بسيار مفيد باشند. بچه ها در مرحله آمادگى پيش دبستانى، يعنى زير ۶ سال، فقط بايد كنجاويهايشان برطرف شود و اگر درست رفع نشود، اين كنجكاوى اذيتشان مى كند. در مهدكودك، ميزان نياز آنها كمتر است و در خيلى از كشورها مثل كشور سنتى ما، بر نقش مدرسه هم تأكيد مى كند، چون وقتى مى بينند كه پدر و مادرها به دلايل مختلف عدم اطلاع يا ناتوانى در برقرارى ارتباط با فرزندان و صحبت در اينگونه موارد، از طرح چنين موضوعاتى ابا دارند، لذا در اينجا نقش مدرسه خيلى برجسته مى شود كه متأسفانه نظام آموزشى ما هم يك نظام بسته اى است. البته كه در سالهاى اخير بهتر شده ولى اغلب تصور بر اين است كه اگر اطلاعاتى بدهد، ممكن است اين اطلاعات بيشتر ايجاد مشكل كند و درحالى كه اينطور نيست.
هرقدر دانش آموزان، اطلاعاتى در حد نياز خودشان بيشتر داشته باشند، بهتر مى توانند مسائل و مشكلاتشان را حل كنند. من به خاطر دارم كه ۶ يا ۷ سال پيش، جزواتى تحت عنوان «بهداشت بلوغ پسران و دختران» را وزارت بهداشت با همكارى يونيسف تهيه كرد و به مرحله چاپ رسيد كه آموزش و پرورش آنها را در مدارسى توزيع كند. چون يكى از راه هاى مؤثر در اين سن اين است كه از طريق كتاب، سؤالاتى براى آنها مطرح شود كه يا در خانواده و يا در مدرسه، به آنها پاسخ داده شود. ولى تا مدتها اين كتابها توزيع نشد. چه از طرف برخى از مسؤولين آموزش و پرورش و چه از طرف برخى مدارس ممانعت مى شد. درحالى كه كتابها، كاملاً علمى تأليف شده بودند. و حال بعد از چند سال اين توزيع صورت گرفته است. بنابراين نه تنها گاهى اوقات خانواده هاى ما سنتى است، بلكه نظامهاى آموزشى ما هم سنتى است. مثل مسأله ايدز كه يك زمانى، اصلاً اجازه طرح آن در مدارس نبود ولى بعد از مدتى كه متوجه شدند نمى توان در مقابل واقعيتها ايستاد و بچه ها را از اين جريانات دور نگه داشت، آموزشهايى در زمينه ايدز در مدارس صورت مى گيرد. بنابراين درحال حاضر هم، يكسرى آموزشهايى در مورد مسائل جنسيتى ولى به صورت كلى و بيشتر در مورد بلوغ، بهداشت آن و تغيير خلق و خوى در اين سنين داده مى شود. چرا كه نظام آموزشى ما به اين نتيجه رسيده است كه هر نوع ممنوعيتى نتيجه معكوس خواهد گذاشت.

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ناسازگاری در کودکان





رفتارهــاي ناسازگارانه:

رفتارهايي هستند كه با نظر پدر و مادر ، اطرافيان و جامعه سازگاري ندارد. رفتار فرزندان ناسازگار احساس بسيار بدي را در اطرافيان ايجاد مي كند به طوري كه خود نيز تحت تأثير واكنش هاي ناخوشايند آن، از سوي ديگران واقع مي شوند.



انــــواع رفتــــارهاي ناسازگارانه :
روانشناسان معمولاً رفتارهاي ناسازگار را در سه طبقه تقسيم بندي مي كنند:
1. اختلال بيش فعالــــي و كمبود توجه
2. اختلال لجبازي و نافرمانـــي
3. اختلال سلــــوك
گرچه شباهت هاي زيادي بين آن ها وجود دارد، ولي ويژگي هاي متمايز كننده اي هم در آن ها به چشم مي خورد. ممكن است علايم هر سه طبقه در يك كودك ديده مي شود كه براي آشنايي بيشتر به رفتارهاي هر كدام اشاره مي نماييم.


كــــودكان بيش فعـــال و كمبـــود توجه :
- نمي توانند رفتارشان را كنترل و تنظيم كنند.
- نمي توانند رفتارهاي هماهنگ و مناسب با اطرافيان، از خود نشان دهند.
- با علامت هايي مثل كم توجهي، حواس پرتي و كمبود تمركز همراه مي باشند.
- رفتارهاي تكانشي آن ها بيش از حد معمول است.
- در كارهايي كه به آنها علاقه و مهارت داشته باشند، هيچ تفاوتي با همسالان خود ندارند.
- خيلي سريع توسط محرك هاي خارجي دچار حواس پرتي مي شوند واز كار خود وظيفه اصلي خود (غالباً تكاليف مدرسه) باز مي مانند.
- اغلب وسايلشان را گم مي كنند و فــــراموشكارند.
- مرتب حـــركت مي كنند و آرام و قرار ندارند.
- ميان صحبت ديگـــــران مي پرند و تأمل ندارند.
- نوبت را رعايت نمــــي كنند.
- ســــريع از كوره در رفته و اشيا را به سوي ديگران پرتاب مي كنند.
- رفتارهاي جسورانه و خطـــرناكي از خود نشان مي دهند.
- در توجه به جــــزئيات ناتوانند.
- در صحبت كــــردن مستقيم با آنان، به نظر مـــي رسد به گوينده توجــــهي ندارند و گوش نمـــي كنند.
- قادر به پي گيـــري دستورات نيستند و كارها را نيمه كارها رها مي كنند.
- از كارهايي كه نياز به تلاش ذهني دارد اجتناب مي كنند.


كــــودكان لجباز و نافـــــرمان :
- رفتارهاي منفــي و نابهنجار از آنها زياد ديده مي شود.
- از قوانين روزمره ســـرپيچي مي كنند.
- زود قهـــــر مي كنند و قشقرق به راه مي اندازند.
- با بزرگتــرها بيش از حد بحث و جدل مي كنند.
- ديگران را در امور مقصر مي دانند و از آزار و اذيت و ناسزاگويي به آنان دريغ ندارند.
- عصبانـــي و زود رنج اند.
- رفتارهاي خشــــــونت آميــــز دارند.
- كينه توز و انتقام گيـــرنده اند.


كــــودكان اختلال سلــــوك :
- معمولاً به حقوق ديگـــران تجاوز مي كنند.
- رفتارهايي مانند قلدري و تهديدي ديگــــران دارند.
- در نزاع و كتك كاري از وسايل خطرناك مانند چاقو و ... استفاده مي كنند.
- معمولاً دست به ســـرقت مي زنند.
- به اموال عمومـــي و ديگران تخريب مي رسانند.
- فرار از خانه و مدرسه در آنها بيشتــــر ديده مي شود.


علل و انگيــــزه هاي ناسازگاري فــــــرزندان :


1. علل ارثـــــي :

گروهي معتقدند بسياري از ناسازگاري هاي كودكان ريشه در سرشت و طينت آن ها دارد كه به همراه ژن از طريق والدين به آن ها منتقل مي شود.


2. علل زيستــــــــــي :

مانند نقص عضو، اختلال در بينايي و شنوايي و اختلال در مغز و دستگاه هاي عصبي در قبل يا حين يا بعد از تولد مي تواند از ديگر عوامل باشد.


3. علل روانــــي :

مانند وجود فشارهاي دروني، ميل به استقلال، وجود تعارض و كشمكش در زندگي روزمره خصوصاً زماني كه كودك خود را بي پناه و بدون پشتوانه احساس كندف عادات عصبي مانند ناخن جويدن و انگشت مكيدن و .. در او مشاهده مي شود.


4. علل عاطفــــــــــي :

مانند احساس محروميت از محبت والدين، ناكامي از دستيابي به اهداف مورد علاقه، ولادت كودك جديد در خانواده، عدم امنيت عاطفي به هر دليل ممكن.


5. علل اجتماعــــي :

مانند نابساماني و اختلاف و درگيري بين اعضاي خانوادهف متاركه ي والدين، بدآموزي از الگوهاي خانه و مدرسه و جامعه، عدم مقبوليت در بين ديگران، يادگري رفتارهاي نامطلوب از گروه همسالان، عدم نظارت كافي والدينف عدم وجود قانون منصفانه و قاطع در خانه و مدرسه، مشكلات اقتصادي و ....


6. علل تربيتـــــي‌:

مانند عدم يا افراط محبت، ناهماهنگي بين عاملان تربيتي در خانه و مدرسه و جامعه، برآورده كردن تمام خواسته هاي كودك بدون چون و چرا و يا بالعكس، تنبيه بدني و آزارهاي رواني، مقايسه و تحقير و سرزنش كودك و ...


چگونه با رفتــــارهاي ناسازگارانه فـــــرزندان برخورد كنيم ؟


* اگر خود تحت فشارهاي رواني ناشي از زندگي و كار قرار داريم و نمي توانيم رفتار و گفتار خود را كنترل كنيم، بهتر است قبل از انجام هر كاري در مورد فرزند به فكر روشي براي كنترل فشارهاي خود باشيم كه تحقيقات نشان داده است اگر والدين بتوانند برخي رفتارهاي خود را تغيير دهند فرمانبري كودك بيشتر خواهد شد.


* افكار غلط و انحرافي درباره فرزند خود نداشته باشيم. مثلاً فرزندم اين كار را مي كند تا حرص مرا در بياورد. يا او باعث تمام مشكلات در خانه است. چنين افكاري زمينه به وجود آمدن احساس بسيار بد را نسبت به فرزند مهيا مي كند و يقيناً بر رفتار ما و او اثر منفي مي گذارد.


* از ارائه دستورات مبهم، كلي و تكراري اجتناب كنيم. مثلاً به جاي اين كه بگوييم «خودت را جمع و جور كن» شفاف و مشخص بگوييم كه از او چه مي خواهيم مثلاً دوست دارم تا پنج دقيقه ديگر دفتر و كتاب هايت را از وسط اتاق جمع كني.


* به جاي سخنراني و بحث و جدل، كوتاه و مؤثر با لحني محكم ولي در كمال آرامش به او گوشزد كنيم كه رفتارش در ما چه تأثيري گذاشته و اگر از اين رفتار خود دست برندارد چه عاقبتي در انتظار اوست.


* به ياد داشته باشيم عاقبتي را براي او مشخص كنيم كه شدني و كوتاه مدت باشد. مثلاً نگوييم « براي هميشه ازاين خانه خواهم رفت» يا «حق نداري از اين به بعد تلويزيون تماشا كني» بهتر است بگوييم امروز از ديدن اين برنامه محروم هستي و يا اين هفته تو را به پارك نمي برم.


* انجام دادن خواسته هايمان را وظيفه او ندانيم بلكه بعد از انجام دادن دستوراتمان او را با كلام و هداياي مورد علاقه تشويق نماييم.


* با مشاركت فرزندمان ليستي از مهمترين قوانين در خانه به ترتيب و همراه با روش انجام دقيق آن ها تهيه كرده و پس از مشخص كردن نوع محروميت براي انجام ندادنشان، با قاطعيت اجرا كنيم.


* عوامل مشكل ساز را شناسايي و در جهت رفع آنها اقدام نماييم.


* به نيازهاي جسمي، عاطفي، رواني، اجتماعي، اقتصادي فرزندان بيشتر توجه كنيم.


* سعي كنيم فرصتي را ايجاد كنيم تا كودكان بتوانند نسبت به رفتارهاي نامناسب خود فكر كنند.


* ارتباط خود را با مدرسه و مسؤولان بيش از پيش تقويت كنيم.


* ار تنبيه بدني اكيداً خودداري نموده و در صورت نياز از محروم سازي هاي كوتاه مدت استفاده كنيم.


* براي شنيدن مسائل و مشكلات فرزندان وقت گذاري كنيم.


* از ســــرزنش و تحقير كردن و مقايسه فرزندان جداً خودداري كنيم.



* علايم هشدار دهنده خشم را به فرزندان آموزش دهيم تا بتوانند خشم خود را بهتر كنترل كنند از جمله علايم : علايم جسمي مثل (افزايش ضربان قلب، سريع شدن تنفس، عرق كردن، سفت شدن عضلات ، داغ شدن بدن و ...) علايم فكري مثل (ازش متنفرم، مي خوام بزنمش، داره به من زور ميگه و ...) علايم رفتاري مثل (داد زدن، تهديد كردن، لرزيدن، لگد و كتك زدن، گريه كردن و ...)


* روشهاي آرامش دهي را به آنها آموزش دهيم از جمله :
- تنفس عميق : يعني دم عميق با يك شماره و نگهداري هوا در شش ها تا چهار شماره و بعد بازدم آهسته با دو شماره
- تجسم : يك تصوير آرامش بخش مثلاً خود را شناور داخل يك قايق كه به آرامي همراه امواج تكان مي خورد تجسم كنيد يا تصور يك ساعت شني كه عصبانيت مثل دانه هاي شن به آرامي از بدنش خارج مي شود.
- روش آدم آهني و عروسك پارچه اي : از او مي خواهيم مثل يك آدم آهني عضلات خود را سفت كند و بعد از پانزده ثانيه عضلات خود را سفت كند و بعد از پانزده ثانيه عضلات خود را مثل يك عروسك پارچه اي شل كند.
- حرف زدن هاي مثبت با خود : ولش كن، بي خيال، خونسرد باش، نمي گذارم مرا عصباني كند و ...


* يكي از دلايل عصبانيت و ناراحتي فرزندان اين است كه نمي توانند احساسات خود را به درستي بيان كنند، با كمك عكس و فيلم و نقاشي يا صورتك هاي كارتوني انواع احساسات مثل ( خشم، ترس، شادي و غم و....) را به آنها آموزش دهيم.


* چون بسيار از ناسازگاري هاي كودكان به دليل عدم آشنايي والدني با مهارت هاي زندگي است توصيه مي شود مهارت هاي ارتباطي مثل گوش دادن، ابراز وجود، حق مسأله و تصميم گيري و ديگر مهارت هاي زندگي را خود بياموزيم و به فرزندانمان نيز آموزش دهيم.(جهت آشنايي بيشتر مي توانيد به بروشورهاي مهارت هاي زندگي از شماره 34 تا 44 مراجعه فرماييد)


* در مورد كودكان بيش فعال علاوه بر موارد فوق رعايت موارد زير تأكيد مي شود:
- دارو درماني مستمر زير نظر روانپزشك كه ممكن است تا چند سال طول بكشد، چرا كه با تشخيص و مراقبت درست اكثريت قريب به اتفاق آنان تا پايان دوره نوجواني درمان مي شوند.
- تأمين خواب مناسب شبانه به هر طريق ممكن، حتي با اعلام خاموشي براي تمامي اعضاي خانواده، مثلاً ساعت 9 شب.
- پرهيز از خوردن قند و شكر، نوشابه گازدار، كاكائو، چيپس، پفك و ...
- آموزش والدين در زمينه شيوه برخورد با آنها و نحوي كمك كردن به فرزند بيش فعالشان در انجام كارهاي روزانه.

Psychoanalysis - روانکاوی چیست ؟











روانکاوی مجموعه‌ای از نظریات و روش‌های روان‌شناسی است که بر پایه کارهای زیگموند فروید بنا شده‌است. این اصطلاح نخست در سال ۱۸۹۶ رایج شد.

روانکاوی در سه ساحت گوناگون قابل تعریف و بهم پیوسته‌است:

۱- روشی است که به نیّت جستجو و کاوش روندهای ضمیر ناخودآگاه یا ضمیر باطن در چهار چوب تحلیل روانکاوی نزد روانکاو بکار برده می‌شود.

در چنین روشی، روانکاو آنطور که در طبّ رایج است عمل نمیکند که طبیب بیماری را نزد بیمار تشخیص دهد و دارو تجویز کند. در روانکاوی، تحلیلگر (فرد روانکاو) و روانکاوی شونده هر دو در چنین کاوشی حضور فعال دارند.

۲- روشی درمانی است که بر اساس اصل تداعی معانی آزاد و انتقال قلبی با روانکاو استوار میباشد

۳- روانکاوی نظریه‌ای است که داده‌های خود را از روان‌درمانی به شیوه روانکاوی کسب می‌کند. این نظریه در زمینه‌های دیگر مثل تحلیل آثار هنری و نقد ادبی نیز کار برد دارد، که غالبا موضوع بحث و جدل است.

[ویرایش] انقلاب فروید
بسیاری از اصطلاحات روانکاوی، مثل: «رانش»، «ناخودآگاه» و «تداعی معانی آزاد» که در روانکاوی رایج هستند و در برخی از زبانهای دنیا کاملاً جا افتاده و کاربرد روزمره دارد، توسط فروید ایجاد نشده‌است. کاری که فروید به فرجام میرساند، این است که مفهوم آنها را متحول میسازد و بنابراین درک جوهر انقلاب فرویدی در درک این مفاهیم جدید نهفته‌است. جهانبینی انسان بعد از فروید دچار دگرگونیهای اساسی می‌شود. مرکز ثقل این تحول به موضوع ناخودآگاه و یا ضمیر باطن باز میگردد. پیش از فروید، خودآگاه نزد انسان مرکز تفکرات و احساسات و آرزومندیها و خرد او تصور میشد. کشف بزرگ فروید این بود که نشان داد که نه تنها ناخودآگاه بر تفکر حاکمیت دارد بلکه تا چه اندازه این ناخودآگاه جنسی است.فروید به تداعی ازاد و تحلیل رویا برای خالی شدن ناهشیار اعتقاد داشت وی در طول عمر خود دو بار نظریه داد که اولی این بود که انسان‌ها دارای هشیار ونیمه هشیار و ناهشیار هستند کنترل اعمال هشیار ونیمه هشیار دست خود انسان است ولی ناهشیار ناشی از امیال سر کوب شده در دوران کودکی (از ۳ تا ۵ سالگی)است ولی بعد‌ها نظریه خود را تغییر داد وگفت رفتار انسان از سه قسمت به نام جاه طلبی و واقعیت طلبی و حقیقت تقسیم کرد وی اعتقاد داشت انسان‌های از لحاظ روانی سالم هستند که واقعیت طلب باشند


شایسته است که هر مطلبی که در این مورد می نویسید با ذکر منبع و با ارجاع به مقالات فروید باشد.بسی مایه ی تأسف و خجالت است که نوشته اید فروید در طول عمر خود دو بار نظریه داد و نظریه ی دومی که نوشته اید به ه وضوح نا آگاهی و یا قصد تحریف بسیار ناشیانه شما را می رساند. پیشنهاد می کنم دست کم مقالات معرفی گر فروید در مورد روانکاوی را از بخوانید!

english transltion :

Today psychoanalysis comprises several interlocking theories concerning the functioning of the mind. The term also refers to a specific type of treatment in which the "analysand" (analytic patient) brings up material, including free associations, fantasies, and dreams, from which the patient with the assistance of the analyst attempts to infer the unconscious basis for the patient's symptoms and character problems and to use this insight to resolve the problems. Unconscious functioning was first described by Sigmund Freud, who modified his theories several times over a period of almost 50 years (1889-1939) of attempting to treat patients who suffered with mental problems. In the past 70 years or so, infant and child research, and new discoveries in adults have led to further modification of theory. During psychoanalytic treatment, the patient tells the analyst various thoughts and feelings. The analyst listens carefully, formulates, then intervenes to attempt to help the patient develop insight into unconscious factors causing the problems. The specifics of the analyst's interventions typically include confronting and clarifying the patient's pathological defenses, wishes and guilt. Through the analysis of resistance (unconscious barriers to treatment), and transference to the analyst of expectations, psychoanalysis aims to unearth wishes and emotions from prior unresolved conflicts, in order to help the patient perceive and resolve lingering problems.

Contents [hide]
1 Origins
2 Theories
2.1 Psychopathology (mental disturbances)
3 Indications and contraindications for analytic treatment
4 Technique
4.1 Variations in technique
4.2 Training
5 Efficacy and empirical research
5.1 Cost and length of treatment
5.2 Curiosities, archaic ideas, and controversy
5.3 Cultural adaptations
5.3.1 Play therapy, art therapy, and other therapies
6 Criticisms
6.1 Challenges to scientific validity
6.2 Theoretical criticism
7 See also
8 References
9 Literature
10 Critiques of psychoanalysis
11 External links



[edit] Origins
Psychoanalysis was developed in Vienna in the 1890s by Sigmund Freud, a neurologist interested in finding an effective treatment for patients with neurotic or hysterical symptoms. Freud became sensitized to the existence of mental processes that were not conscious as a result of his neurological consulting job at the Kinderkrankenhaus (Children's Hospital), where he noticed that many aphasic children had no organic cause for their symptoms. He wrote a monograph about this (Freud, S (1891). On Aphasia. NY: International Universities Press, 1953. ). He also became aware of the experimental treatment, a combination of hypnotism and "catharsis" done by "abreaction", his older mentor and colleague, Dr. Josef Breuer, was using to treat the now famous patient, Anna O. In the late 1880s, Freud obtained a grant to study with Jean-Martin Charcot, the famed neurologist and syphilologist, at the Salpetriere in Paris. Dr. Charcot had become interested in patients who had symptoms that mimicked general paresis, the psychotic illness that occurs due to tertiary syphilis. Charcot had found that many patients experienced paralyses, pains, coughs, and a variety of other symptoms with no demonstrable physical etiology (cause). Prior to Charcot's work, women were thought to have a wandering uterus (the name hysteria means this in Greek). But Freud learned that men could have psychosomatic symptoms as well. As a result of talking with patients, Freud learned that the majority complained of sexual problems, especially coitus interruptus as birth control, which surprised him greatly. He first suspected their problems stemmed from cultural restrictions on sexual expression, and devised in 1900 what today is called "topographic theory", in Chapter VII of one of his most famous books, The Interpretation of Dreams. In this theory, which he later more or less discarded in 1923, unacceptable sexual wishes were repressed into the "System Unconscious" unconscious due to "society's" condemnation of premarital sexual activity, and this repression created anxiety. Freud also discovered what most of us take for granted today: that dreams were symbolic and specific to the dreamer. Often, dreams give clues to unconscious conflicts, and for this reason, Freud referred to dreams as the "royal road to the Unconscious." After several theoretical modifications, the discovery of narcissism in 1915, and the study of paranoia, masochism, and depression in 1917, Freud eventually reorganized his data into what became known as structural theory in a small book called The Ego and the Id in 1923. This new theory, which addressed the cause of neurotic symptoms — phobias, compulsions, obsessions, depressions, and "hysterical" conversions — amongst others, suggested that such problems were created by conflicts among various wishes and guilt, which produced anxiety. To handle the anxiety, the mind forgot or repressed certain conflicting thoughts. In other words, now he felt that anxiety produced repression, not the other way around.

Although criticized since its inception (See the recent criticism, below), psychoanalysis has been thriving as a research tool into childhood development (cf. the journal The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child), and has developed into a flexible, effective treatment for certain mental disturbances (see Wallerstein's (2000) Forty-Two Lives in Treatment: A Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy). In the 1960s, Freud's early (1905) thoughts on the childhood development of female sexuality were challenged; this challenge led to the development of a variety of understandings of female sexual development, many of which modified the timing and normality of several of Freud's theories (which had been gleaned from the treatment of women with mental disturbances). Cf. Blum, Harold P. (Ed.) (1977). Female Psychology. New York: International Universities Press. Also see the various works of Eleanor Galenson. Feminist analysts, e.g., Nancy Chodorow, and others. Several researchers, coming together in Blum's 1977 book, Female Psychology, followed Karen Horney's studies of societal pressures that influence the development of women. Most contemporary North American psychoanalysts employ theories that, while based on those of Sigmund Freud, include many modifications of theory and practice developed since his death in 1939.

Today, there are approximately 35 training institutes for psychoanalysis in the United States accredited by the American Psychoanalytic Association (see www.apsa.org) which is a component organization of the International Psychoanalytical Association, and there are over 3,000 graduated psychoanalysts practicing in the United States. The International Psychoanalytical Association accredits psychoanalytic training centers throughout the rest of the world, including countries such as Serbia, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and many others, as well as about six institutes directly in the U.S., and is a fast-growing organization.


[edit] Theories
Wikinews has related news:
Dr. Joseph Merlino on sexuality, insanity, Freud, fetishes and apathyThe predominant psychoanalytic theories include

Conflict Theory, which theorizes that emotional symptoms and character traits are complex solutions to intrapsychic conflict. See Brenner (2006), Psychoanalysis: Mind and Meaning, New York: Psychoanalytic Quarterly Press. This revision of Freud's structural theory (Freud, 1923, 1926) dispenses with the concepts of a fixed id, ego and superego, and instead posits unconscious and conscious conflict among wishes (dependant, controlling, sexual, and aggressive), guilt and shame, emotions (especially anxiety and depressive affect), and defensive operations that shut off from consciousness some aspect of the others. Moreover, healthy functioning (adaptive) is also determined, to a great extent, by resolutions of conflict. A major goal of modern conflict theorist analysts is to attempt to change the balance of conflict through making aspects of the less adaptive solutions (also called compromise formations) conscious so that they can be rethought, and more adaptive solutions found. Current theoreticians following Brenner's many suggestions (see especially Brenner's 1982 book, "The Mind in Conflict") include Sandor Abend, MD (Abend, Porder, & Willick, (1983), Borderline Patients: Clinical Perspectives), Jacob Arlow (Arlow and Brenner (1964), Psychoanalytic Concepts and the Structural Theory), and Jerome Blackman (2003), 101 Defenses: How the Mind Shields Itself). Conflict theory is the prevalent analytic theory taught in psychoanalytic institutes, throughout the United States, accredited by the American Psychoanalytic Association.
Ego Psychology, which has a long history. Begun by Freud in Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety (1926), the theory was refined by Hartmann, Loewenstein, and Kris in a series of papers and books from 1939 through the late 1960s. Leo Bellak picked up the work from there. This series of constructs, parallelling some of cognitive theory, includes the notions of autonomous ego functions: mental functions not dependant, at least in origin, on intrapsychic conflict. Such functions include: sensory perception, motor control, symbolic thought, logical thought, speech, abstraction, integration (synthesis), orientation, concentration, judgment about danger, reality testing, adaptive ability, executive decision-making, hygiene, and self-preservation. Freud noted inhibition as a way the mind may interfere with any of these functions to avoid painful emotions. Hartmann (1950s) pointed out that there may be delays or deficits in such functions. Frosch (1964) described differences in those people who demonstrated damage to their relationship to reality, but who seemed able to test it. Deficits in the capacity to organize thought are sometimes referred to as blocking or loose associations (Bleuler), and are characteristic of the schizophrenias. Deficits in abstraction ability and self-preservation also suggest psychosis in adults. Deficits in orientation and sensorium are often indicative of a medical illness affecting the brain (and therefore, autonomous ego functions). Deficits in certain ego functions are routinely found in severely sexually or physically abused children, where powerful affects generated throughout childhood seem to have eroded some functional development. Ego strengths, later described by Kernberg (1975), include the capacities to control oral, sexual and destructive impulses; to tolerate painful affects without falling apart; and to prevent the eruption into consciousness of bizarre symbolic fantasy. Defensive activity, which shuts certain conflictual thoughts, fantasies, and sensations out of consciousness, is also sometimes included here, although defensive operations are different from autonomous functions. Nevertheless, the term "ego defense" has become common.
Object relations theory, which attempts to explain vicissitudes of human relationships through a study of how internal representations of self and of others are structured. The clinical problems that suggest object relations problems (usually developmental delays throughout life) include disturbances in an individual's capacity to feel warmth, empathy, trust, sense of security, identity stability, consistent emotional closeness, and stability in relationships with chosen other human beings. (It is not suggested that one should trust everyone, for example). Concepts regarding internal representations (also sometimes termed, "introjects," "self and object representations," or "internalizations of self and other") although often attributed to Melanie Klein, were actually first mentioned by Sigmund Freud in his early concepts of drive theory (1905, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality). Freud's 1917 paper "Mourning and Melancholia", for example, hypothesized that unresolved grief was caused by the survivor's internalized image of the deceased becoming fused with that of the survivor, and then the survivor shifting unacceptable anger toward the deceased onto the now complex self image. Vamik Volkan, in "Linking Objects and Linking Phenomena," expanded on Freud's thoughts on this, describing the syndromes of "Established pathological mourning" vs. "reactive depression" based on similar dynamics. Melanie Klein's hypotheses regarding internalizations during the first year of life, leading to paranoid and depressive positions, were later challenged by Rene Spitz (e.g., The First Year of Life, 1965), who divided the first year of life into a coenesthetic phase of the first six months, and then a diacritic phase for the second six months. Margaret Mahler (Mahler, Fine, and Bergman (1975), "The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant") and her group, first in New York, then in Philadelphia, described distinct phases and subphases of child development leading to "separation-individuation" during the first three years of life, stressing the importance of constancy of parental figures, in the face of the child's destructive aggression, to the child's internalizations, stability of affect management, and ability to develop healthy autonomy. Later developers of the theory of self and object constancy as it affects adult psychiatric problems such as psychosis and borderline states have been John Frosch, Otto Kernberg, and Salman Akhtar. Peter Blos described (1960, in a book called "On Adolescence) how similar separation-individuation struggles occur during adolescence, of course with a different outcome from the first three years of life: the teen usually, eventually, leaves the parents' house (this varies with the culture). During adolescence, Erik Erikson (1950, 1960s) described the "identity crisis," that involves identity-diffusion anxiety. In order for an adult to be able to experience "Warm-ETHICS" (warmth, empathy, trust, holding environment (Winnicott), identity, closeness, and stability) in relationships (see Blackman (2003), 101 Defenses: How the Mind Shields Itself), the teenager must resolve the problems with identity and redevelop self and object constancy.
Structural Theory, which breaks the mind up into the id, the ego, and the superego. Actually, in German, the word for id is "es," which means "it." The word ego was coined by Freud's translators; Freud used the term, "ich" meaning "I" in English. Freud called the superego the "Über-ich." The id was designated as the repository of sexual and aggressive wishes, which Freud called "drives." The ego was composed of those forces that opposed the drives -- defensive operations. The superego was Freud's term for the conscience -- values and ideals, shame and guilt. One problem Brenner (2006) later found with this theory (see above) was that Freud also suggested that forgotten thoughts ("the repressed") were also "located" in the id. However, Freud here realized that drives could be conscious or unconscious, and that consciousness vs. unconsciousness was a quality of any mental operation or any mental conflict. Forgetting things could be done on purpose, or not. People could be aware of guilt, or not aware.
Self psychology, which emphasizes the development of a stable sense of self through mutually empathic contacts with other humans, was developed originally by Heinz Kohut, and has been elucidated by the Ornsteins and Arnold Goldberg. Marian Tolpin explicated the need for "transmuting internalizations" (1971) during treatment, to correct what Kohut referred to as a disturbance in the "self-object" internalizations from parents.
Lacanian psychoanalysis, which integrates psychoanalysis with semiotics and Hegelian philosophy, is popular in France.
Feminist theory of psychoanalysis, articulated mainly by Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray and Bracha Ettinger, is informed both by Freud, Lacan and the Object relations theory.
Analytical psychology, which has a more spiritual approach, founded by Carl Jung
Interpersonal psychoanalysis, which accents the nuances of interpersonal interactions, was first introduced by Harry Stack Sullivan, MD, and developed further by Frieda Fromm-Reichmann. It is the primary theory, still taught, at the William Alanson White Center.
Relational psychoanalysis, which combines interpersonal psychoanalysis with object-relations theory as critical for mental health, was introduced by Stephen Mitchell. Relational psychoanalysis emphasizes how the individual's personality is shaped by both real and imagined relationships with others, and how these relationship patterns are re-enacted in the interactions between analyst and patient. Fonagy and Target, in London, have propounded their view of the necessity of helping certain detached, isolated patients, develop the capacity for "mentalization" associated with thinking about relationships and themselves.
Modern psychoanalysis, a body of theoretical and clinical knowledge developed by Hyman Spotnitz and his colleagues, extended Freud's theories so as to make them applicable to the full spectrum of emotional disorders. Modern psychoanalytic interventions are primarily intended to provide an emotional-maturational communication to the patient, rather than to promote intellectual insight.
Although these theoretical "schools" differ, most of them continue to stress the strong influence of unconscious elements affecting people's mental lives. There has also been considerable work done on consolidating elements of conflicting theory (cf. the work of Theodore Dorpat, B. Killingmo, and S. Akhtar). As in all fields of medicine (for example, [1]}, there are some persistent conflicts regarding specific causes of some syndromes, and disputes regarding the best treatment techniques.

Today psychoanalytic ideas are embedded in the culture, especially in childcare, education, literary criticism, and in psychiatry, particularly medical and non-medical psychotherapy. Though there is a mainstream of evolved analytic ideas, there are groups who more specifically follow the precepts of one or more of the later theoreticians. It also plays a role in literary analysis. See Archetypal literary criticism.


[edit] Psychopathology (mental disturbances)
The various psychoses involve deficits in the autonomous ego functions (see above) of integration (organization) of thought, in abstraction ability, in relationship to reality and in reality testing. In depressions with psychotic features, the self-preservation function may also be damaged (sometimes by overwhelming depressive affect). Because of the integrative deficits (often causing what general psychiatrists call "loose associations," "blocking," "flight of ideas," "verbigeration," and "thought withdrawal"), the development of self and object representations is also impaired. Clinically, therefore, psychotic individuals manifest limitations in warmth, empathy, trust, identity, closeness and/or stability in relationships (due to problems with self-object fusion anxiety) as well.

In patients whose autonomous ego functions are more intact, but who still show problems with object relations, the diagnosis often falls into the category known as "borderline." Borderline patients also show deficits, often in controlling impulses, affects, or fantasies -- but their ability to test reality remains more or less intact.

Those adults who do not experience guilt and shame, and who indulge in criminal behavior, are usually diagnosed as psychopaths, or, using DSM-IV-TR, antisocial personality disorder.

Panic, phobias, conversions, obsessions, compulsions and depressions (analysts call these "neurotic symptoms") are not usually caused by deficits in functions. Instead, they are caused by intrapsychic conflicts. The conflicts are generally among sexual and hostile-aggressive wishes, guilt and shame, and reality factors. The conflicts may be conscious or unconscious, but create anxiety, depressive affect, and anger. Finally, the various elements are managed by defensive operations -- essentially shut-off brain mechanisms that make people unaware of that element of conflict. "Repression" is the term given to the mechanism that shuts thoughts out of consciousness. "Isolation of affect" is the term used for the mechanism that shuts sensations out of consciousness. Neurotic symptoms may occur with or without deficits in ego functions, object relations, and ego strengths. Therefore, it is not uncommon to encounter obsessive-compulsive schizophrenics, panic patients who also suffer with borderline personality disorder, etc.

Furthermore, we know that many adult problems can trace their origins to unresolved conflicts from certain phases of childhood and adolescence. Freud, based on the data gathered from his patients early in his career, suspected that neurotic disturbances occurred when children were sexually abused in childhood (the so-called seduction theory). Later, Freud came to realize that, although child abuse occurs, that not all neurotic symptoms were associated with this. He realized that neurotic people often had unconscious conflicts that involved incestuous fantasies deriving from different stages of development. He found the stage from about three to six years of age (preschool years, today called the "first genital stage") to be filled with fantasies about marriage with both parents. Although arguments were generated in turn-of-the-(20th)century Vienna about whether adult seduction of children was the basis of neurotic illness, there is virtually no argument about this problem in the 21st century.

Many psychoanalysts who work with children have studied the actual effects of child abuse, which include ego and object relations deficits and severe neurotic conflicts. Much research has been done on these types of trauma in childhood, and the adult sequelae of those. On the other hand, many adults with symptom neuroses and character pathology have no history of childhood sexual or physical abuse.

In studying the childhood factors that start neurotic symptom development, Freud found a constellation of factors that, for literary reasons, he termed the Oedipus complex (based on the play by Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, where the protagonist unwittingly kills his father Laius and marries his mother Jocasta). The shorthand term, "oedipal," (later explicated by Joseph Sandler, 1960, in "On the Concept Superego" and modified by Charles Brenner (1982) in "The Mind in Conflict") refers to the powerful attachments that children make to their parents in the preschool years. These attachments involve fantasies of marriage to either (or both) parent, and, therefore, competitive fantasies toward either (or both) parents. Humberto Nagera (1975) has been particularly helpful in clarifying many of the complexities of the child through these years.

The terms 'positive' and 'negative' oedipal conflicts have been attached to the heterosexual and homosexual aspects, respectively. Both seem to occur in development of most children. Eventually, the developing child's concessions to reality (that they will neither marry one parent nor eliminate the other) lead to identifications with parental values. These identifications generally create a new set of mental operations regarding values and guilt, subsumed under the term "superego." Besides superego development, children "resolve" their preschool oedipal conflicts through channeling wishes into something their parents approve of ("sublimations") and the development, during the school-age years ("latency") of age-appropriate obsessive-compulsive defensive maneuvers (rules, repetitive games).

When there is disturbance in the family during the first genital phase (such as death of a parent or divorce), unusual magnification of anxieties in the child may occur. This sets the stage for problems during latency and adolescence. Later in life, under certain circumstances, a recrudescence of symptoms may occur during periods that are either stressful or symbolic -- such as marriage, having children, or graduating from school.

Controversies regarding infantile sexuality and the oedipus complex are prevalent within and without psychoanalytic circles.


[edit] Indications and contraindications for analytic treatment
Using the various analytic theories to assess mental problems, several particular constellations of problems are particularly suited for analytic techniques (see below) whereas other problems respond better to medicines and different interpersonal interventions.

To be treated with psychoanalysis, whatever the presenting problem, the person requesting help must demonstrate

good capacity to organize thought (integrative function)
good abstraction ability
reasonable ability to observe self and others
some capacity for trust and empathy
some ability to control emotion and urges, and
good contact with reality (excludes most psychotic patients)
some guilt and shame (excludes most criminals)
reasonable self-preservation ability (excludes severely suicidal patients)
If any of the above are faulty, then modifications of techniques, or completely different treatment approaches, must be instituted. The more there are deficits of serious magnitude in any of the above mental operations (1-8), the more psychoanalysis as treatment is contraindicated, and the more medication and supportive approaches are indicated. In non-psychotic first-degree criminals, any treatment is often contraindicated.

The problems treatable with analysis include: phobias, conversions, compulsions, obsessions, anxiety attacks, depressions, sexual dysfunctions, a wide variety of relationship problems (dating and marital strife, e.g.), and a wide variety of character problems (e.g., painful shyness, meanness, obnoxiousness, workaholism, hyperseductiveness, hyperemotionality, hyperfastidiousness). The fact that many of such patients also demonstrate deficits in numbers 1-8 above makes diagnosis and treatment selection difficult.


[edit] Technique
The basic method of psychoanalysis is interpretation of the analysand's unconscious conflicts that are interfering with current-day functioning -- conflicts that are causing painful symptoms such as phobias, anxiety, depression, and compulsions. Strachey (1936) stressed that figuring out ways the patient distorted perceptions about the analyst led to understanding what may have been forgotten (also see Freud's paper "Repeating, Remembering, and Working Through"). In particular, unconscious hostile feelings toward the analyst could be found in symbolic, negative reactions to what Robert Langs later called the "frame" of the therapy -- the setup that included times of the sessions, payment of fees, and necessity of talking. In patients who made mistakes, forgot, or showed other peculiarities regarding time, fees, and talking, the analyst can usually find various unconscious "resistances" to the flow of thoughts (sometimes called free association).


Freud's patients would lie on this couch during psychoanalysisWhen the patient reclines on a couch with the analyst out of view, the patient tends to remember more, experience more resistance and transference, and be able to reorganize thoughts after the development of insight -- through the interpretive work of the analyst. Although fantasy life can be understood through the examination of dreams, masturbation fantasies (cf. Marcus, I. and Francis, J. (1975), Masturbation from Infancy to Senescence) are also important. The analyst is interested in how the patient reacts to and avoids such fantasies (cf. Paul Gray (1995), The Ego and the Analysis of Defense). Various memories of early life are generally distorted -- Freud called them "screen memories" -- and in any case, very early experiences (before age two) -- can not be remembered (See the child studies of Eleanor Galenson on "evocative memory").


[edit] Variations in technique
There is what is known among psychoanalysts as "classical technique," although Freud throughout his writings deviated from this considerably, depending on the problems of any given patient. Classical technique was best summarized by Allan Compton, MD, as comprising:

instructions (telling the patient to try to say what's on their mind, including interferences)
exploration (asking questions)
clarification (rephrasing and summarizing what the patient has been describing)
confrontation (bringing an aspect of functioning, usually a defense, to the patient's attention)
dynamic interpretation (explaining how being too nice guards against guilt, e.g. - defense vs. affect)
genetic interpretation (explaining how a past event is influencing the present)
resistance interpretation (showing the patient how they are avoiding their problems)
transference interpretation (showing the patient ways old conflicts arise in current relationships, including that with the analyst)
dream interpretation (obtaining the patient's thoughts about their dreams and connecting this with their current problems)
reconstruction (estimating what may have happened in the past that created some current day difficulty)
Clearly, these techniques are primarily based on conflict theory (see above). As object relations theory evolved, supplemented by the work of Bowlby, Ainsorth, and Beebe, techniques with patients who had more severe problems with basic trust (Erikson, 1950) and a history of maternal deprivation (see the works of Augusta Alpert) led to new techniques with adults. These have sometimes been called interpersonal, intersubjective (cf. Stolorow), relational, or corrective object relations techniques. These techniques include:

expressing an experienced empathic attunement to the patient
expressing a certain dosage of warmth
exposing a bit of the analyst's personal life or attitudes to the patient
allowing the patient autonomy in the form of disagreement with the analyst (cf. I.H. Paul, Letters to Simon.)
explanations of the motivations of others which the patient misperceives
Finally, ego psychological concepts of deficit in functioning led to refinements in supportive therapy. These techniques are particularly applicable to psychotic and near-psychotic (cf., Eric Marcus, "Psychosis and Near-psychosis") patients. These supportive therapy techniques include:

discussions of reality
encouragement to stay alive (including hospitalization)
psychotropic medicines to relieve overwhelming depressive affect
psychotropic medicines to relieve overwhelming fantasies (hallucinations and delusions)
advice about the meanings of things (to counter abstraction failures)
The notion of the "silent analyst" has been made into negative propaganda against analysis. Actually, the analyst listens in a special way (see Arlow's paper on "The Genesis of Interpretation"). Much active intervention is necessary by the analyst to interpret resistances, defenses creating pathology, and fantasies that are being displaced into the current day inappropriately. Silence and non-responsiveness was actually a technique promulgated by Carl Rogers, in his development of so-called "Client Centered Therapy" -- and is not a technique of psychoanalysis (also see the studies and opinion papers of Owen Renik, MD).

"Analytic Neutrality" is a concept that does not mean the analyst is silent. It refers to the analyst's position of not taking sides in the internal struggles of the patient. For example, if a patient feels guilty, the analyst might explore what the patient has been doing or thinking that causes the guilt, but not reassure the patient not to feel guilty. The analyst might also explore the identifications with parents and others that led to the guilt.

Although single-client sessions remain the norm, psychoanalytic theory has been used to develop other types of psychological treatment. Psychoanalytic group therapy was pioneered by Trigant Burrow, Joseph Pratt, Paul F. Schilder, Samuel R. Slavson, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Wolfe. Child-centered counseling for parents was instituted early in analytic history by Freud, and was later further developed by Irwin Marcus, Edith Schulhofer, and Gilbert Kliman. Psychoanalytically based couples therapy has been promulgated and explicated by Fred Sander, MD.


[edit] Training
Psychoanalytic training in the United States, in most locations, involves three facets:

Personal analytic treatment for the trainee, conducted confidentially, with no report to the Education Committee of the Analytic Training Institute.
Approximately 600 hours of class instruction, with a standard curriculum, over a four-year period. Classes are often a few hours per week, or for a full day or two every other weekend during the academic year; this varies with the institute.
Supervision once per week, with a senior analyst, on each analytic treatment case the trainee has. The minimum number of cases varies between institutes, often two to four cases. Male and female cases are required. Supervision must go on for at least a few years on one or more cases. Supervision is done in the supervisor's office, where the trainee presents material from the analytic work that week, examines the unconscious conflicts with the supervisor, and learns, discusses, and is advised about technique.
Psychoanalytic Training Centers in the United States have been accredited by special committees of the American Psychoanalytic Association or the International Psychoanalytical Association. Because of theoretical differences, other institutes have arisen, as well, which belong to other organizations such as the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychotherapy, and the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. At most psychoanalytic institutes in the United States, qualifications for entry include a terminal degree in a mental health field, such as Ph.D., C.S.W., or M.D. A few institutes restrict applicants to those already holding an M.D. or Ph.D., and one institute in Southern California confers a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychoanalysis upon graduation, which involves completion of the necessary requirements for the state boards that confer that doctoral degree. In many institutes in Europe and Latin America, the admission for training does not necessarily require a license-bearing preliminary degree.[citation needed]

Some psychoanalytic training has been set up as a post-doctoral fellowship in university settings, such as at Duke University, Yale University, New York University, and Columbia University. Other psychoanalytic institutes may not be directly associated with universities, but the faculty at those institutes usually hold contemporaneous faculty positions with psychology Ph.D. programs and/or with Medical School psychiatry residency programs.

Psychoanalysis was limited to those "in the know" from the early 1920s (when A.A. Brill began the New York Psychoanalytic Institute) through the end of World War II, although the idea that repression of sexual urges could make you mentally ill (Freud's first, discarded theory) proved popular with college students in the 1920s -- who used the theory to argue with their conservative parents. During those early years, Andrew Carnegie was perhaps one of the most famous patients who benefited; he later made his gratitude public by endowing a psychoanalytic fund in Pittsburgh.

Psychoanalysis became popular post-war, as many celebrities found it useful -- such as Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, and Art Buchwald. Psychoanalytic treatment became somewhat less popular during the 1980s and early 1990s. Circa 1986, when insurance companies decimated health insurance coverage for all mental illnesses (in part due to corrupt practices in some for-profit hospitals), people for whom psychoanalytic treatment was indicated were increasingly unable to afford it. Gradually, as psychiatry departments became more dependent on grants from pharmaceutical companies, chairs of Psychiatry Departments in the nation's medical schools tended to come from backgrounds involving pharmacological research -- not from backgrounds involving analytic training. Interestingly, psychoanalytic institutes have experienced an increase in the number of applicants in recent years, but, not surprisingly, about 70-80% of incoming students are non-MDs.[1]


[edit] Efficacy and empirical research
Over a hundred years of case reports and studies in the journal Modern Psychoanalysis, the Psychoanalytic Quarterly, the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association demonstrate the efficacy of analysis in cases of neurosis and character or personality problems. Psychoanalysis modified by object relations techniques has been shown to be effective in many cases of ingrained problems of intimacy and relationship (cf. the many books of Otto Kernberg). As a therapeutic treatment, psychoanalytic techniques may be useful in a one-session consultation (see Blackman, J. (1994), Psychodynamic Technique during Ungent Consultation Interviews, Journal Psychotherapy Practice & Research). Psychoanalytic treatment, in other situations, may run from about a year to many years, depending on the severity and complexity of the pathology.

Psychoanalytic theory has, from its inception, been the subject of criticism and controversy. Freud remarked on this early in his career, when other physicians in Vienna ostracized him for his findings that hysterical conversion symptoms were not limited to women. Challenges to analytic theory began with Otto Rank and Adler (turn of the 20th century), continued with behaviorists (e.g. Wolpe) into the 1940s and '50s, and have persisted. Criticisms come from those who object the notion that there are mechanisms, thoughts or feelings in the mind that could be unconscious. Criticisms also have been leveled against the discovery of "infantile sexuality" (the recognition that children between ages two and six imagine things about procreation). Criticisms of theory have led to opposing analytic theories, such as the work of Fairbairn, Balint, and Bowlby. In the past 30 years or so, the criticisms have centered on the issue of empirical verification,[2] in spite of many empirical, prospective research studies that have been empirically validated (e.g., See the studies of Barbara Milrod, at Cornell University Medical School, et al.).

Psychoanalysis has been thriving as a research tool into childhood development (cf. the journal The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child), and has developed into a flexible, effective treatment for certain mental disturbances (see Wallerstein's (2000) Forty-Two Lives in Treatment: A Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy). In the 1960s, Freud's early (1905) thoughts on the childhood development of female sexuality were challenged; this challenge led to major research in the 1970s and 80s, and then to a reformulation of female sexual development that corrected some of Freud's concepts.[3]

Analysis of previous randomized controlled trials has suggested that psychoanalytic treatment is effective in specific psychiatric disorders. [2]. Empirical research on the efficacy of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy has also become prominent among psychoanalytic researchers.

Research on psychodynamic treatment of some populations shows mixed results. Research by analysts such as Bertram Karon and colleagues at Michigan State University had suggested that when trained properly, psychodynamic therapists can be effective with schizophrenic patients. More recent research casts doubt on these claims. The Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) report argues in its Recommendation 22 against the use of psychodynamic therapy in cases of schizophrenia, noting that more trials are necessary to verify its effectiveness. However, the PORT recommendation is based on the opinions of clinicians rather than on empirical data, and empirical data exist that contradict this recommendation (link to abstract). A review of current medical literature in The Cochrane Library, (the updated abstract of which is available online) reached the conclusion that no data exist that demonstrate that psychodynamic psychotherapy is effective in treating schizophrenia. Dr. Hyman Spotnitz and the practitioners of his theory known as Modern Psychoanalysis, a specific sub-specialty, still report (2007) much success in using their enhanced version of psychoanalytic technique in the treatment of schizophrenia. Further data also suggest that psychoanalysis is not effective (and possibly even detrimental) in the treatment of sex offenders.


[edit] Cost and length of treatment
The cost of psychoanalytic treatment ranges widely from city to city. Low-fee analysis is often available in a psychoanalytic training clinic and graduate schools. Otherwise, the fee set by each analyst varies with the analyst's training and experience. Since, in most locations in the United States, unlike in Ontario and Germany, classical analysis (which usually requires sessions three to five times per week) is not covered by health insurance, many analysts may negotiate their fees with patients whom they feel they can help, but who have financial difficulties.

The various modifications of analysis, which include dynamic therapy, brief therapies, and certain types of group therapy (cf. Slavson, S. R., A Textbook in Analytic Group Therapy), are carried out on a less frequent basis - usually once, twice, or three times a week - and usually the patient sits facing the therapist.

Many studies have also been done on briefer "dynamic" treatments; these are more expedient to measure, and shed light on the therapeutic process to some extent. Brief Relational Therapy (BRT), Brief Psychodynamic Therapy (BPT), and Time-Limited Dynamic Therapy (TLDP) limit treatment to 20-30 sessions. On average, classical analysis may last 5.7 years, [3] but for phobias and depressions uncomplicated by ego deficits or object relations deficits, analysis may run just a year or two. Longer analyses are indicated for those with more serious disturbances in object relations, more symptoms, and more ingrained character pathology (such as obnoxiousness, severe passivity, or heinous procrastination).


[edit] Curiosities, archaic ideas, and controversy
Freud revisited the Oedipal territory in the final essay of Totem and Taboo. There, he combined one of Charles Darwin's more speculative theories about the arrangements of early human societies (a single alpha-male surrounded by a harem of females, similar to the arrangement of gorilla groupings) with the theory of the sacrifice ritual taken from William Robertson Smith. Smith believed he had located the origins of totemism in a singular event, whereby a band of prehistoric brothers expelled from the alpha-male group returned to kill their father, whom they both feared and respected. In this respect, Freud located the beginnings of the Oedipus complex at the origins of human society, and postulated that all religion was in effect an extended and collective solution to the problem of guilt and ambivalence relating to the killing of the father figure (which Freud saw as the true original sin).

In 1920, after the carnage of World War I, and after studying severe depressions and masochistic states, Freud became concerned with what today Parens has called "destructive aggression." He began to formulate that there were wishes that drove human beings that were not sexual, but aggressive. The concepts of a libidinal and an aggressive drive are still used clinically by a large number of practicing analysts, but there is today some dispute (and research into) the origins of either sexual or destructive fantasies and/or behavior. Freud attempted, in "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" (1920), to theorize that there might be cellular origins to destructiveness, an idea that may be supported by current research into telomeres and cell death. Most North American analysts, however, have not been persuaded by Freud's arguments that there is a "Death Drive" underlying aggression. However, analysts in England (the Melanie Klein group) and South America utilize this concept.


[edit] Cultural adaptations
Psychoanalysis can be adapted to different cultures, as long as the therapist or counseling understands the client’s culture. For example, Tori and Blimes found that defense mechanisms were valid in a normative sample of 2,624 Thais. The use of certain defense mechanisms was related to cultural values. For example Thais value calmness and collectiveness (because of Buddhist beliefs), so they were low on regressive emotionality. Psychoanalysis also applies because Freud used techniques that allowed him to get the subjective perceptions of his patients. He takes an objective approach by not facing his clients during his talk therapy sessions. He met with his patients where ever they were, such as when he used free association—where clients would say whatever came to mind without self-censorship. His treatments had little to no structure for most cultures, especially Asian cultures. Therefore, it is more likely that Freudian constructs will be used in structured therapy (Thompson, et al., 2004). In addition, Corey postulates that it will be necessary for a therapist to help clients develop a cultural identity as well as an ego identity. Since Freud has been criticized for not accounting for external/societal forces, it seems logical that therapists or counselors using his premises will work with the family more.


[edit] Play therapy, art therapy, and other therapies
Psychoanalytic constructs have been adapted and modified for use with children. Play therapy, art therapy, and storytelling, have been the beneficiaries of these modifications. Throughout her career, from the 1920s through the 1970s, Anna Freud (Sigmund Freud's daughter) adapted psychoanalysis for children through play. This is still used today for children, especially those who are preadolescent (see Leon Hoffman, New York Psychoanalytic Institute Center for Children). Using toys and games, children are able to demonstrate, symbolically, their fears, fantasies, and defenses; although not identical, this technique, in children, is analogous to the aim of free association in adults. Psychoanalytic play therapy allows the child and analyst to understand children's conflicts, particularly defenses such as disobedience and withdrawal, that have been guarding against various unpleasant feelings and hostile wishes.

Psychoanalytic constructs fit with constructs of other more structured therapies, and Firestone (2002) thinks psychotherapy should have more depth and involve both psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches. For example, Corey states that Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), would allow his clients to experience depression over a loss, since such an emotion would be rational—often people will be irrational and deny their feelings.

In art therapy, the counselor may have a child draw a portrait and then tell a story about the portrait. The counselor watches for recurring themes — regardless of whether it is with art or toys.


[edit] Criticisms
This article or section may contain too much repetition.
Please help improve this article, or discuss the issue on its talk page. Editing help is available. (December 2007)

Psychoanalysis has been criticized on a variety of grounds by

Mario Bunge
Frank Cioffi
Frederick Crews
Hans Eysenck
Ernest Gellner
Adolf Grünbaum
Han Israels
Karl Kraus
Jeffrey Masson
Malcolm Bruce Macmillan
Peter Medawar
Karl Popper
William Sargant
Richard Webster
Ludwig Wittgenstein


and others. Exchanges between critics and defenders of psychoanalysis have often been so heated that they have come to be characterized as the Freud Wars.

Popper argues that psychoanalysis is a pseudoscience because its claims are not testable and cannot be refuted, that is, they are not falsifiable.[4] For example, if a client's reaction was not consistent with the psychosexual theory then an alternate explanation would be given (e.g. defense mechanisms, reaction formation).

Kraus was the subject of two books written by noted libertarian author Thomas Szasz. Karl Kraus and the Soul Doctors and Anti-Freud: Karl Kraus's Criticism of Psychoanalysis and Psychiatry portrayed Kraus as a harsh critic of Sigmund Freud and of psychoanalysis in general. Other commentators, such as Edward Timms (Karl Kraus - Apocalyptic Satirist) have argued that Kraus respected Freud, though with reservations about the application of some of his theories, and that his views were far less black-and-white than Szasz suggests.

Grünbaum argues that psychoanalytic based theories are falsifiable, and in fact are false. Other schools of psychology have produced alternative methods for psychotherapy, including behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, Gestalt therapy and person-centered psychotherapy.

Hans Eysenck determined that improvement was no greater than spontaneous remission. Between two-thirds and three-fourths of “neurotics” would recover naturally; this was no different from therapy clients. Prioleau, Murdock, Brody reviewed several therapy-outcome studies and determined that psychotherapy is no different than placebo controls.

Michel Foucault, and similarly Gilles Deleuze, noted that the institution of psychoanalysis has become a center of power, with its confessional techniques being the same of the Christian tradition.[5]

Due to the wide variety of psychoanalytic theories, varying schools of psychoanalysis often internally criticize each other. One consequence is that some critics offer criticism of specific ideas present only in one or more theories, rather than in all of psychoanalysis while not rejecting other premises of psychoanalysis. Defenders of psychoanalysis argue that many critics (such as feminist critics of Freud) have attempted to offer criticisms of psychoanalysis that were in fact only criticisms of specific ideas present only in one or more theories, rather than in all of psychoanalysis. As the psychoanalytic researcher Drew Westen puts it, "Critics have typically focused on a version of psychoanalytic theory—circa 1920 at best—that few contemporary analysts find compelling… In so doing, however, they have set the terms of the public debate and have led many analysts, I believe mistakenly, down an indefensible path of trying to defend a 75 to 100-year-old version of a theory and therapy that has changed substantially since Freud laid its foundations at the turn of the century." link to Westen article.


[edit] Challenges to scientific validity
An early and important criticism of psychoanalysis was that its theories were based on little quantitative and experimental research, and instead relied almost exclusively on the clinical case study method. In comparison, brief psychotherapy approaches such as behavior therapy and cognitive therapy have shown much more concern for empirical validation (Morley et al. 1999). Some even accused Freud of fabrication, most famously in the case, and miraculous cure of Anna O. (Borch-Jacobsen 1996).

An increasing amount of empirical research from academic psychologists and psychiatrists has begun to address this criticism.

A survey of scientific research showed that while personality traits corresponding to Freud's oral, anal, Oedipal, and genital phases can be observed, they cannot be observed as stages in the development of children, nor can it be confirmed that such traits in adults result from childhood experiences (Fisher & Greenberg, 1977, p. 399). However, these stages should not be viewed as crucial to modern psychoanalysis. What is crucial to modern psychoanalytic theory and practice is the power of the unconscious and the transference phenomenon.

Some claim the idea of "unconscious" is contested because human behavior can be observed while human psychology has to be guessed at. However, the unconscious is now a hot topic of study in the fields of experimental and social psychology (e.g., implicit attitude measures, fMRI, and PET scans, and other indirect tests). One would be hard pressed to find scientists who still think of the mind as a "black box". Presently, the field of psychology has embraced the study of things outside one's awareness. Even strict behaviorists acknowledge that a vast amount of classical conditioning is unconscious and that this has profound effects on our emotional life. The idea of unconscious, and the transference phenomenon, have been widely researched and, it is claimed, validated in the fields of cognitive psychology and social psychology, though such claims are also contested. Recent developments in neuroscience have resulted in one side arguing that it has provided a biological basis for unconscious emotional processing in line with psychoanalytic theory, while the other side argues that such findings make psychoanalytic theory obsolete and irrelevant.[citation needed]

E. Fuller Torrey, considered by some to be a leading American psychiatrist, writing in Witchdoctors and Psychiatrists (1986) stated that psychoanalytic theories have no more scientific basis than the theories of traditional native healers, "witchdoctors" or modern "cult" alternatives such as est (p. 76). In fact, an increasing number of scientists regard psychoanalysis as a pseudoscience (Cioffi, 1998).

Among philosophers, Karl Popper argued that Freud's theory of the unconscious was not falsifiable and therefore not scientific.[4] Popper did not object to the idea that some mental processes could be unconscious but to investigations of the mind that were not falsifiable. In other words, if it were possible to connect every conceivable experimental outcome with Freud's theory of the unconscious mind, then no experiment could refute the theory.

Anthropologist Roy Wagner in his classic work The Invention of Culture ridicules psychoanalysis and tries to account for personality and emotional disorder in terms of invention and convention.[6]

Some proponents of psychoanalysis suggest that its concepts and theories are more akin to those found in the humanities than those proper to the physical and biological/medical sciences, though Freud himself tried to base his clinical formulations on a hypothetical neurophysiology of energy transformations. For example, the philosopher Paul Ricoeur argued that psychoanalysis can be considered a type of textual interpretation or hermeneutics. Like cultural critics and literary scholars, Ricoeur contended, psychoanalysts spend their time interpreting the nuances of language — the language of their patients. Ricoeur claimed that psychoanalysis emphasizes the polyvocal or many-voiced qualities of language, focusing on utterances that mean more than one thing. Ricoeur classified psychoanalysis as a hermeneutics of suspicion. By this he meant that psychoanalysis searches for deception in language, and thereby destabilizes our usual reliance on clear, obvious meanings.


[edit] Theoretical criticism
Psychoanalysts have often complained about the significant lack of theoretical agreement among analysts of different schools. Many authors have attempted to integrate the various theories, with limited success. However, with the publication of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual much of this lack of cohesion has been resolved.

The philosopher Jacques Derrida incorporated certain aspects of psychoanalytic theory into his practice of deconstruction in order to question what he called the 'metaphysics of presence' or 'self-presence'. This was the defining trait (for Derrida) of traditional metaphysics, namely its assumption that the meaning of utterances can be pinned down and made fully evident to consciousness, perhaps most evident in Descartes' conception of 'clear and distinct ideas'. Derrida is here influenced by Freud (among others such as Marx and Nietzsche). For instance, Freud's insistence, in the first chapter of The Ego and the Id, that philosophers will recoil from his theory of the unconscious is clearly a forbear to Derrida's understanding of metaphysical 'self-presence'. However, Derrida goes on to turn certain of these practices against Freud himself, in order (in Derrida's typical manner) to reveal tensions and contradictions in Freud's work which are nonetheless the very conditions upon which it can operate - its simultaneous conditions of possibility and impossibility. For instance, although Freud will define religion and metaphysics as a displacement of the identification with the father in the resolution of the Oedipal complex (e.g. in The Ego and The Id and Totem and Taboo) Derrida will insist (for instance in The Postcard) that the prominence of the father in Freud's own analysis is at the same time indebted to and an example of the prominence given to the father in Western metaphysics and theology since Plato. Thus (in a similar manner to that in which Levi-Strauss reads Freud's understanding of the Oedipal complex as but another version of the Oedipus myth[citation needed]), Derrida understands Freud as remaining partly within that theologico-metaphysical tradition[citation needed] ('phallologocentrism' Derrida helpfully calls it) which Freud nonetheless criticizes.[citation needed] However, the purpose of Derrida's analysis is not to refute Freud per se (which would only be to reaffirm traditional metaphysics), but rather to reveal an aporia (an undecidability) at the very heart of Freud's project. Such a 'deconstruction' (or indeed psychoanalysis) of Freud does tend to cast doubt upon the possibility of delimiting psychoanalysis as a rigorous science. However, in doing so it celebrates and pledges a critical allegiance to that side of Freud which emphasises the open-ended and improvisatory nature of psychoanalysis, and its (methodical and ethical) demand (for instance in the opening chapters of the Interpretation of Dreams) that the testimony of the analysand should be given prominence in the practice of analysis.

Psychoanalysis, or at least the dominant version of it, has been denounced as patriarchal or phallocentric by proponents of feminist theory.[citation needed] Other feminist scholars appreciate how Freud opened up society to female sexuality.[citation needed]

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