What do we mean by a punitive superego

In this video we discuss the role of the superego or conscious and how it can play either a healthy or destructive role in life. Furthermore, we examine how the need to suffer under the force of a punitive system undermines therapeutic efforts and must be taken up directly, lest therapy fail and the patient continue their sentence of misery.
Carveth's article on guilt, and self punishment as a defense against guilt, is essential reading on the topic.
www.yorku.ca/dc...

[@aviothal]

Great subject but even greater the way you approached it and made available its comprehensible meaning to us all. Great work Ph.D. Coughlin

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Thanks for letting me know.

[@zahraizadikhah2396]

This is WONDERFUL. No word can say how appreciative I am for your videos Patricia. They are super beauty. Thank you.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

I am so glad. Thanks for letting me know.

[@FCox-cy2zq]

Yes!!! Yes!!! Thank you 💓 Patricia and feel better 😮😊

[@ronaldalbucher4348]

Very much liked the distinction between shame and guilt (self-focus vs. other-focus) and the link to emotional maturation. Also you have a great ability to summarize very complex topics into a brief review without losing the depth! Hope to see more.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Thanks to all who have left comments - it's really helpful to get your feedback. Termination and follow up are great topics and will definitely to on the list!

[@ashleyfrancis2903]

Great video Patricia, and your emphasis on love and the need to protect loved ones from rage is lovely. I also appreciate in your teaching how guilt over rage is not the only conflict at the centre of suffering, and that the psychoanalytic literature points to many other core conflicts (including for example Oedipal).

[@Patt101]

Extremely helpful, thank you

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

So glad.

[@CJ-rv4hb]

Simply amazing! Thank you so much for your clear explanation of the superego, I never understood the role of defenses against feelings of guilt and how unhelpful these defences can be

[@DB-zg8hy]

This helped define some intricate concepts id only had a superficial understanding of. Steve Stosny writes on the adaptive functions of guilt and shame, but this video tied it to the therapy context so well. Thank you, Patricia!

[@jameshicks7125]

I had to subscribe! Mentioning Winnicott and Klein as well as referring to Don Carveth grabbed my attention. A key feature that I discovered in my own journey into psychoanalysis - especially present in my own misery - was the presence of the Lacanian BIg Other/Object A. I noticed that my superego features were manifesting around the presence of the jouissance in imagining myself being loved by the (unspecified) big other. That was driven by what Skavoj Zizek would describe as a "sublime object of ideology". Part of that was crippling perfectionism and years of major depression. As a psychoanalyst, I tend to lean in the Kleinian/Lacanian direction, with a lot of influence by Martin Seligman.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Lacan and Seligman - what an unusual combination!

[@cody_go_create]

Thank you.

[@learningdynamicpsychothera8166]

Thank you for this helpful overview of the topic, I was particularly interested in your comments on the relationship between love and self punishment, which points towards a wish for reparation. I am hoping you can do a video on chronic suicidality, as the extreme form of superego pathology.

[@Manicpixiedreamer]

Reminds me motivational interviewing “roll w the resistance” go with it… I say to clients don’t get rid of your (feeling) what’s it saying? Why is it here? Then they eventually free themselves after WE look at it this way. Permission . I sometimes use “neutral” ways of continuing thru favorite movies, books, songs. Latest was Winnie the Pooh analysis and comparison (the English teacher in me) . add in empowerment theory and magic!!! Love this video! Great content!

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Davanloo developed techniques to increase motivation decades before Miller came up with motivational interviewing. I am not sure if he was familiar with Davanloo's work.

[@AlastorTheNPDemon]

My superego is just about the Christian Devil, and this is one of few things I relate to Christians on. It's nothing but shame, sadism, oppression, and infantilization. The past three years of my life have been a concerted effort to burn this harsh inner critic of my fundamental existence to ash. Now, I don't have very much conscious guilt, but what you are saying about the role of shame and self-hatred in that is spot-on, not least because feelings of guilt used to get me trapped with family members who clearly hated me and demonized me for every "infraction".

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Make sure to distinguish between the feelings of shame and guilt, which have adaptive value and keep us from hurting others and betraying our own values, and self attack, which is a harmful defense against this feeling. Feelings are information and not to be used to bludgeon ourselves or others. Glad you are getting your freedom.

[@isabellasophie100]

Dear Patrcia. Thank you for your videos. They are of great help to me. I would ask if you could make a video on somatizing patients and where the anxiety is discharged in to smooth muscles, which makes it diffuclt to assess levels of anxiety. I have a patient with the cronic disorder Morphus Crohn and it is really difficult to assess changes in the levels of anxiety since his digestive system is cronically out of balance. I would love to hear your thoughts about what the goals of therapy can be for a patient like him, and how I make sure not to cross his anxiety thresshold. Thank you in advance.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Sorry I didn't see this before. Of course the goal must be defined by the patient - it's not up to us!

[@CassandraAveolii]

Can you also comment on how the punitive superego is different in neurotic depression vs psychosis?

[@healinghearts3666]

Very helpful, looking forward to more videos on the topic.

[@elisabethgusdal5435]

Than you Patricia!

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

In ISTDP we don't "go with the resistance". Instead we identify it and examine the consequences so the patient can give it up in favor of experiencing their true feelings. Perhaps what you mean is that we acknowledge D and R were developed for a reason but they have long outlived their usefulness and actually create/perpetuate the patient's suffering. It's not up to me to make this decision or to give anyone permission - that has to be the patient's choice.

[@muskduh]

Thanks a bunch!

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Syre

[@ofraanker7079]

Thank you Patricia. This is very helpful indeed. I am looking forward to your talk about depression and punitive SE. At a later stage I would appreciate it if you might share with us your thoughts on the topic of End of Therapy . How do we assess (accurately) that our patients have healed , when is it time to say goodbye , and how do you go about it. Thank you .

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Will do.

[@EmersetFarquharson]

Hi Patricia, I just wanted to follow up on your comment at 10:24 where you say you may make another video about how the need to suffer and the oppressive guilt and self-punitive force of the superego can be tied up with depression. How do you allow the client to free themselves from this? I feel like this is something that many many people carry.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Can you clarify your question? You're asking how to help the patient give up the need to punish the self?

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

The need for punishment must be replaced with compassion, repair and forgiveness. The experience of guilt is blocked by self punishment so we want the patient to experience guilt, which is tied to love. The feeling of love propels the desire for repair. Does that help?