„Es waren ja fast alle weggegangen“

The complex and partly disputed history of German psychoanalysis during the Third Reich has been thoroughly investigated to date. There are various stages of historical analysis which are distinguished by differing discourses that are presented as part of this work. The first stage of historical analysis was characterized by conflicts within the German psychoanalytical societies and marked by two antagonistic narratives about the transformation of German psychoanalysis during the Third Reich. This study investigated which discourses on the history of German psychoanalysis were integrated into the professional biographies of the first generation of post-war psychoanalysts. In this study 23 narrative interviews were conducted with psychoanalysts who where born before 1st January 1937 focusing on the professional biography and the results were analyzed. The interviewees stressed the ‘damage’ to German psychoanalysis in general and on their training in particular. The ‘damage’ was described as an uncontrollable result of National Socialism and the structural and theoretical changes that were connected to it whereby its effects continued to impact on post-war psychoanalysis. Especially the discourses of the first stage of historical analysis appear to have been integrated into professional biographies and are still having an impact on the interpretation of history for the post-war generation to this day. The history of psychoanalysis is presented as a narrative of ‘rescue’ or ‘liquidation’ of psychoanalysis during the Third Reich depending on the professional identity of the psychoanalysts.     

„Bluttaten“ und „schizophrene Politik“

Background

The role of printed media in the maintenance of stigmatization has been a subject of debate for several years now. As for stigmatization of schizophrenia, previous research has frequently focused on stereotypes in newspaper articles and the metaphoric use of the word “schizophrenic” for something contradictory, aloof or ridiculous.

Aim

The objective of this study was to quantify the frequency of stigmatizing articles with regard to the specific type of stigmatizing content in German broadsheets and tabloids.

Material and methods

A total of 391 articles extracted from the entirety of all issues of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the tabloid BILD from 2011 were content-analyzed for stereotypes, false statements and metaphoric use of schizophrenia.

Results

Stigmatizing elements were prevalent in each newspaper (40.4–66.7?%). Among broadsheets the metaphoric use constituted the predominant form of stigmatization, whereas depictions of persons with schizophrenia as dangerous and unpredictable prevailed in the tabloid BILD.

Conclusion

Metaphoric use and blatant discrimination are still highly prevalent in German newspapers. While metaphoric use may be stopped by renaming the disorder schizophrenia, further efforts are needed to raise awareness for and ultimately prevent the reification of stereotypes in printed media.     

„ Den Alkoholiker“ gibt es nicht

Zusammenfassung:  Im Gegensatz zur lange vorherrschenden Konzentration auf die Behandlung des Entzugs und der Abh?ngigkeit, haben sich durch neuere Befunde Tendenzen entwickelt, die Therapie Alkoholabh?ngiger wieder st?rker auf die tats?chlichen individuellen Hintergründe auszurichten. Besonders hilfreich für eine verbesserte therapeutische Transparenz erwiesen sich die aktuellen Erkenntnisse neuro-biologischer Befunde. Damit erkl?ren sich viele bisher r?tselhafte Hintergründe einer Abh?ngigkeitsbildung und suchtbedingte Stereotype, speziell „Craving“ (massives Alkoholverlangen) und die krisenhaften Turbulenzen und Rückfallstendenzen auch nach l?ngerer Abstinenz. Die süchtige Umprogrammierung des mesolimbischen Belohnungssystems macht auch die rasche Reaktivierung des Abh?ngigkeits-prozesses bei neuerlichem Alkoholkonsum besser verst?ndlich. Da allerdings zu akzeptieren ist, dass die neurobiologischen Ver?nderungen keinesfalls die Ursache, sondern erst die Konsequenz einer süchtigen Umprogrammierung darstellen, muss sich die therapeutische Aufmerksamkeit wieder vermehrt auf die individuellen Hintergründe einer Suchtentwicklung fokussieren: Spezielles Interesse gilt hier schon seit l?ngerem den pathologischen Mustern der überanpassung und Selbstentwertung, die sich als Folge einer Dekompensation des Selbstwertregulationssystems entwickeln. Zahlreiche Befunde weisen darauf hin, dass gerade der Versuch, Selbstwertprobleme, permanente Verunsicherung und soziale ?ngste mit Alkohol zu „behandeln“, ein deutlich erh?htes Abh?ngigkeitsrisiko bewirkt. Daraus ergibt sich die Aufgabe einer zus?tzlichen therapeutischen Ver?nderung derartiger Hintergrundfaktoren, da andernfalls eine Alkoholrückf?lligkeit auf dem Boden dieser Muster programmiert w?re. Die somit gegebene Vielfalt individueller Entwicklungsfaktoren und Verlaufsbilder best?tigt auch eindrucksvoll die inzwischen weitgehend akzeptierte Not-wendigkeit einer syndrombezogenen und verlaufsorientierten Individualisierung der Langzeittherapie und damit eine Abkehr von kategorial orientierten, kollektiven Behandlungskonzepten.

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Summary:  In contrast to the long prevailing concentration towards the treatment of withdrawal symptoms and addiction, latest experiences and medical findings support tendencies towards individually designed treatment concepts, taking into consideration individual root causes. Recent consolidated findings in neurobiology have proved valuable for an improved therapeutic understanding since puzzling processes in the development of addiction, as well as the context and dynamic of addictive stereotypes, the phenomenon of craving and critical turbulences can now be explained. Furthermore, it is now better understood, why the mesolimbic gratification system reprogrammed with addictive features can provoke relapse and the recurrance of addictive behaviour immediately after reuptake of alcohol consumption. Since those neurobiological findings mentioned above have to be considered a consequence of addictive processes, the instances leading to the primary onset of addictive behaviour have to be brought into the therapeutical focus. Here, special emphasis has been placed on pathological behavioural patterns such as over-conformity and self-devaluation which might develop after decompensation of the self-concept regulation system. On-site findings in diverse fields of addiction research point towards an increased risk of self medication efforts as compensation efforts of self-worth problems, personal instability or social anxiety. As a result, any therapeutic intervention would intend to alter such background factors since they might be seen as elevated risk potential for relapse. The highly visible diversity of possible alternatives regarding developmental factors and aetiopathology impressively supports the widely accepted necessity for individually designed syndrome, as well as process-oriented, treatment concepts, thus abandoning categorically oriented universal approaches.

     

Individuelle Therapiezielerreichung nach Gruppentherapie „SAVE“

Background

Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are severely impaired in routine daily activities in the same way as adults. Therapy programs focus on improving everyday behavior. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) has already proven to be a suitable instrument for assessing treatment success with adult ADHD patients.

Material and methods

Goal attainment scaling was used in addition to standardized self-evaluation of core symptoms of ADHD in 49 adolescents aged 12-18 years old with a mean age of 14.14 years (standard deviation SD±1.59 years) with ADHD to operationalize treatment success of the cognitive behavior group therapy program SAVE. Behavior-oriented aims and criteria for target achievement were set. To examine treatment success changes were assessed at different time points (10 weeks before treatment, process evaluation during treatment and after treatment).

Results

The adolescents in this study were able to define relevant goals together with the therapists. They focused on goals concerning organization of everyday life, attention, distraction and power of endurance. Goals were reached from the beginning of the study to post-evaluation, even before SAVE started, with great effects (d?=?1.85). Adolescents evaluated changes in symptoms during the course of the SAVE program in general (d?=?0.47) and attention deficits (d?=?0.45) as having significant effects. The reduction in symptoms (attention) was only moderately correlated with the target achievement.

Conclusion

The GAS method has been proven to be a practical instrument to assess treatment success for adolescents with ADHD. Further studies in a controlled design should focus on assessment of the influence of GAS as an intervention method.     

Einzelbeiträge zur Frage nach dem phylogenetischen Parallelismus auf dem Gebiet der Zahl- und Raumentwicklung bei Kindern und Primitiven

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

„His Majesty the Baby“ (S. Freud)

Zusammenfassung Der Text zentriert sich um das Wiederaufleben des Narzissmus im psychoanalytischen Regressionsprozess, in dem sich der Analysand geborgen und vollst?ndig fühlt und ein „Zuhause sein“ erlebt. Diese Erlebensmatrixentstammt einer „pr?natalen Koen?sthesie“ (Grunberger), die wir aber wegen der darin enthaltenen biologischen Abh?ngigkeit zu verleugnen suchen. Im Wiederfinden dieses Erlebensimanalytischen Prozess etabliert sich eine monadische Beziehung, in der als gleichsam „extrojizierter Uterus“ (Grunberger) eine Wiedergutmachung und Vervollst?ndigung herbeigeführt werden kann. Der Analysand sucht den glückseligen Zustand in der Projektion dieser Vollst?ndigkeit auf den Analytiker best?tigt zu erleben und zu bewahren; die Annahme dieser Projektion l?sst Hoffnung und Vertrauen in das Selbstgefühl in ihm wachsen. Dieser regressiv-narzisstische Zustand kann mit einer übertragungsliebe verwechselt werden. Eine übertragungsdeutung, die auf der Getrenntheit des Analysanden vom Analytiker besteht, durchbricht den zu bewahrenden Reizschutz und wird als feindlich-verfolgend sowie kr?nkend erlebt. Damit aber wird die Projektion des Ichideals auf den Analytiker als Repr?sentanz der Hoffnung und die sich gleichsam „hinter dem Rücken des Analysanden“ herstellende Beziehung angegriffen, in der das Objekt sich schrittweise entwickelt und der übertragungsneurose Tür und Tor ?ffnet. Denn in der Monade, so Grunberger, wartet bereits das (Trieb-)Objekt. Es ist also diese narzisstische Regression, die die Triebkraft der Analyse darstellt, aus der der Analysand Kraft und Hoffnung sch?pft, die schmerzliche Analyse durchzuhalten und eine narzisstische Wiederherstellung seiner ersten (Trieb-)Objekte zu erleben.

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“His Majesty the Baby” (S. Freud)—The psychoanalytic treatment in the field of tension between narcissism and the transference neurosis

Abstract The text centers on the reactivation of narcissismin the psychoanalytic process of regression in which the analysand feels safe and complete and experiences a state of “being at home”. This experiential matrix derives from a “prenatal coenaesthesia” (Grunberger) which we attempt to deny, however, because of the implicit biological dependence. A monadic relationship gets established as a consequence of the recovery of this experience within the analytic relationship in which—almost like an “extrojected womb“ (Grunberger)–reparationand completion can be achieved. In the projection of this completeness into the analyst, the analysand seeks to find confirmation of this blissful state and its preservation, and the acceptance of this projection generates hope and trust in the self-feeling. This regressive-narcissistic state can be mistaken for transference love. Atransference interpretation which insists on the separatedness of the analysand from the analyst breaks through the stimulus barrier—which has to be preserved—and will be experienced as hostile-persecutory and hurtful. In this way, the projection of the ego-ideal into the analyst as the representative of hope and the relationship which, as it were, develops “behind the back of the analysand” will get attacked, a relationship in which the object develops step by step and opens the door for the transference neurosis because, as Grunberger points out, within the monad the (drive-)object is already waiting. Thus it is this narcissistic regression which constitutes the driving force of the analysis and from which the analysand gathers strength and hope to endure the painful analysis and to experience a narcissistic restoration of his first (drive-)objects.

     

„Nanotechnologie“ als neue „Schlüsseltechnologie“?—Versuch eines historischen und systematischen Vergleichs mit anderen Technologien

Nanotechnology seems to be a new “key-discipline”, which should lead to basic changes in many areas of living and producing. This estimation is questioned by a comparison with established technologies, which reach from heat engines to biotechnology. In this line it is possible to come to a more realistically assessment of nanotechnology. “Technologies” in the narrower sense are understood as techniques based scientifically and integrated systematically into a network. The development of these technologies starts first in the early modern times. Before this background the established technologies are characterised looking at relevant questions and problems, the role of researchers and inventors, the importance of theoretical foundations, important applications and innovations, as well as the relevance of visions and then confronted with nanotechnology in its present state. It is accentuated that there are no explicit theories and no specific applications of nanotechnology and it seems to be only a kind of chemical technology.

„Psychopathy“ im Kindes- und Jugendalter

The term psychopathy is defined as a severe personality pathology, which is characterized by extreme aggressive, antisocial and violent behavior as well as affective and interpersonal deficits. In recent years, research into the construct of psychopathy has often focused on the incidence and detection of such pathologies in children and adolescents. In this context, a point of interest is to explore the course and stability of psychopathic personality dimensions throughout youth. Results demonstrate clear evidence for the occurrence of personality traits characteristic for psychopathy in early childhood and adulthood, which facilitates early detection with the aid of age-specific diagnostic instruments.The distinct correlation between psychopathy and severe, repeated and largely treatment refractory violence, which results in substantial public damage, calls for further research in children and adolescents in order to define the construct of psychopathy more precisely, to further illuminate underlying pathologies and consequently develop more specific typologies and effective treatment strategies. To that end, it is of particular importance to correctly capture dimensional factors of psychopathy in youth and to examine their stability throughout stages of adolescent development.     

„Innerer Richter“ und „Herzenskündiger“ im Wandel der Zeit

The last few years have seen a deepening of the understanding of the role of metaphor and metaphorical processes first in the cognitive sciences, more recently also in psychoanalysis. What had for a long time been viewed as an imprecise way of understanding turned out to be central for a comprehension of how the mind functions. Most important was the step of distinguishing metaphorical processes as a fundamental way how the mind works from the linguistic form of metaphor. The essay deals with a number of core metaphors for superego conflicts and for interpersonal relations; In particular, the differentiation between people who focus more on things versus those who stress inner life and emotions.     

Vladimir Pečerin (1807–1885) und die Russische Sehnsucht nach dem Abendlande

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Wie der Fall des „Eisernen Vorhangs“ die innere Welt veränderte

Using exemplary events and personal experiences, the path of the author is described since the peaceful revolution of 1989 up to the present, as a migration without changing location. In doing this, the historic events are broken down at the personal level, individually analyzed and reflected on. The author describes that the soul needs many years, even decades, before it catches up with historic upheavals. Only after the successful integration into the altered social conditions is one liberated to responsible thinking and actions beyond one’s own horizon, a current topic of explosive nature.

Die Mauer Als wir sie schleiften, ahnten wir nicht, wie hoch sie ist in uns Wir hatten uns gewöhnt an ihren horizont Und an die windstille In ihrem schatten warfen alle keinen schatten Nun stehen wir entblößt jeder entschuldigung Reiner Kunze (1990, zitiert 2000)

     

„Fort-da — die Vertreibung aus dem Paradies — ins Leben“

The paper attempts to explore the choreography of this text which is central to psychoanalytic thinking and clinical practice. Especially the “Fort-da”-game of his grandson Ernst, in addition to the observation of traumatized people, lead Freud to question the assumptions of drive theory. How can the intrapsychic repetition of trauma and the pain of separation, in essence the repetition compulsion, be compatible with the pleasure principle? Freud’s considerations lead him to the assumption that there is a form of psychic functioning which pre-dates the pleasure principle, is independent from it and seems to have developed even prior to the intention of gaining pleasure and avoiding unpleasure — a state of “beyond the pleasure principle”. Thus the question arises how this can be compatible with drive theory which is centered around the pleasure principle. What is the meaning of Freud’s words when he speaks about a time which pre-dates the pleasure principle and where the difference between wish and wish fulfilment and (drive)conflicts, which characterize our life, do not yet exist? Freud’s reconsideration and correction of drive theory and the introduction of the death drive seem to us an epistemological circle in his reasoning and the assumption of the death drive to be unnecessary. The introduction of the death drive seems rather to have arisen from an inner conflict between drive theory and a narcissism which is not drive-determined and which is reflected in the repetition compulsion. It seems that Freud is not aware of or does not explicitly mention the perspective of a non-drive-determinated narcissism, although we find such a point of view in other Freudian texts. Bela Grunberger’s theory of narcissism enables one to reread this text with a new perspective which has important consequences for psychoanalytic practice. For example, the question as to what it is that enables the patient to get through the painful process of psychoanalysis appears in a new light. In addition we gain new insight and a re-evaluation concerning the meaning and use of a transference interpretation. A clinical case attempts to illustrate this perspective.     

Die Kindstötung „in oder gleich nach der Geburt“

§ 217 of the German penal code, which intended a milder punishment for the homicide of an illegitimate child by the mother right after birth than for manslaughter, was abrogated without substitution in 1998. The reasoning behind this move does not convince. We will give a short summary of the history of this law. The privileged status of this crime was primarily justified in view of the denied pregnancy and the consequent state of the mother at the time of birth. Even after abrogation of §217 StGB there has to be differentiated between former reasons for privileged treatment, which now can justify from a juridicial point of view the use of §213 StGB (minor manslaughter), and those pathological states of mind which allow for the establishment of reduced or nullified legal responsibility.     

Amodale Ergänzung und „Erwartungsfehler“ des Gestaltpsychologen

Zusammenfassung Der Fehler des Gestaltpsychologen wird durch das Erstaunen enthüllt, das von einem gestaltpsychologisch orientierten Forscher empfunden wird, wenn eine gewisse Erscheinung den Erwartungen nicht entspricht, die eine schematische Anwendung des Gestaltprinzips hervorrufen würde. Einige Beispiele, in denen ein solcher Fehler in klarer Weise erscheint, werden angegeben und besprochen. Es werden noch einige Bemerkungen über manche Bedingungen und Folgen der amodalen Ergänzung hinzugefügt.

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Amodal totalization and the Gestalt-Error

Summary The gestalt-expectation-error consists in the surprise felt by a gestalt oriented student of perception, when a perceptual phenomenon does not correspond to the expectations raised by a schematic application of gestalt laws. Some examples of such expectation-errors are presented and discussed. A few remarks on the conditions and the effects of amodal completion phenomena are added.