Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T22:16:39.045Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 12 - The Psychodynamics of Depressing/Depressed States

from Applications of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Accompanying Case Study Description for Each Presentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 August 2023

Adam Polnay ,
Rhiannon Pugh ,
Victoria Barker ,
David Bell ,
Allan Beveridge ,
Adam Burley ,
Allyson Lumsden ,
C. Susan Mizen  and
Lauren Wilson
Foreword by
Nancy McWilliams
Adam Polnay
Affiliation:
The State Hospital, Carstairs and Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh
Victoria Barker
Affiliation:
East London NHS Foundation Trust, London
David Bell
Affiliation:
British Psychoanalytic Society
Allan Beveridge
Affiliation:
Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
Adam Burley
Affiliation:
Rivers Centre, Edinburgh
Allyson Lumsden
Affiliation:
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
C. Susan Mizen
Affiliation:
Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter
Lauren Wilson
Affiliation:
Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh
Get access

Summary

There are many ways of becoming depressed. In this chapter we highlight common developmental themes and therapeutic situations amongst people who experience depressing/depressed states. In particular, we expand on two common clinical constellations in some detail: the first a pattern to do with dynamics of loss and abandonment; and the second a tendency to harsh self-criticism, which leads to a devaluing of oneself and others. We use the phrase ‘depressing/depressed’ state to capture the dynamic nature of depression, as opposed to conceptualising depression as a passive state of affairs when someone ‘just is’ depressed. From a psychodynamic view, this is an active and dynamic situation, where an aspect of someone’s internal world is depressing in some way to that person, leaving them feeling depressed. This chapter approaches the external manifestations of depressing/depressed states not as a discrete ‘disorder’, but more as a ‘basic emotional response’ that signals that something is amiss in an individual’s world which requires attending to and addressing.

Keywords

psychodynamic psychotherapydepressiondepressive dynamicbasic emotional responseanaclitic depressionintrojective depression
Type
Chapter
Information
Cambridge Guide to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy , pp. 184 - 199
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Hoch, PH. Psychodynamics and psychotherapy of depressions. Can Psychiatr Assoc J 1959;4(Suppl):24–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luyten, P, Blatt, SJ. Psychodynamic treatment of depression. Psychiatric Clinics of North America 2012;35(1):111–29.Google Scholar
Gabbard, GO, Bennett, T. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression and dysthymia. In Textbook of Mood Disorders, Stein, DJ, Kupfer, DJ, Schatzberg, AF, eds. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2006. pp. 389–405.Google Scholar
Dowds, B. Depression: An Introduction. Phoenix Publishing House; 2021.Google Scholar
Fonagy, P, Rost, F, Carlyle, JA et al. Pragmatic randomized controlled trial of long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: the Tavistock Adult Depression Study (TADS). World Psychiatry 2015;14(3):312–21.Google Scholar
Busch, FN. Anger and depression. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 2009;15(4):271–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pedder, JR. Failure to mourn, and melancholia. The British Journal of Psychiatry 1982;141(4):329–37.Google Scholar
Blatt, SJ. Experiences of Depression: Theoretical, Clinical, and Research Perspectives. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association; 2004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McWilliams, N. Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, Second Edition: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process. New York: The Guilford Press; 2011.Google Scholar
Fairbairn, WRD. Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul; 1952.Google Scholar
Abraham, K. Notes on the psycho-analytical investigation and treatment of manic-depressive insanity and allied conditions. In Selected Papers on Psychoanalysis. Hogarth Press; 1927. pp. 137–56.Google Scholar
Freud, S. Mourning and melancholia. In Strachey, J., ed. & trans. In The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth Press (original work published 1917); 1957. pp. 237–58.Google Scholar
Arieti, S. Psychotherapy of severe depression. AJP 1977;134(8):864–8.Google Scholar
Sandler, J. From Safety to Superego: Selected papers of Joseph Sandler. New York, NY, US: Guilford Press; 1987.Google Scholar
Bowlby, J. Loss: Sadness & Depression. Attachment and Loss (vol. 3); (International psycho-analytical library no.109). London: Hogarth Press; 1980.Google Scholar
Blatt, S. The differential effect of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis with anaclitic and introjective patients: The Menninger psychotherapy research project revisited. J Am Psychoanal Assoc 1992;40(3):691–724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
APA. Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM). Silver Spring, MD: Alliance of Psychoanalytic Organizations; 2006.Google Scholar
Gabbard, GO. Long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: a basic text. In Long-term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A Basic Text. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub.; 2010.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×