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Elaborations on the Meaning of Repetitive Behavior in Drug Dependent Personalities
Author(s) -
Edelstein E. L.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
british journal of addiction to alcohol and other drugs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0007-0890
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1975.tb00050.x
Subject(s) - psychoanalytic theory , psychology , personality psychology , object relations theory , perception , drug , affect (linguistics) , drug abuser , psychotherapist , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , neuroscience , personality , communication , psychiatry
Summary This paper discusses several limited aspects of the problem of drug dependence from a psychoanalytic point of view. Early developmental defects in the ego of drug dependent people are discussed, namely: the stimulus barrier, object relations, perceptions, dedifferentiation of affect and the inability to wait. An analysis of the adaptive mechanisms used by drug abusers is offered with particular emphasis on their use of repetitive compulsive mechanisms. Several clinical examples illustrate the mechanisms described. The repetitive compulsive mechanisms in particular have not previously been described in detail and may be of assistance in treatment.