Addiction to near death in adolescence |
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Authors: | Janet Shaw |
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Affiliation: | 1. Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy , Bevan House, 34–36 Springwell Road, Leeds , LS12 , 1AW , UK janet.shaw4@nhs.net |
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Abstract: | This paper takes Betty Joseph's concept of ‘addiction to near death’, which describes a clinical situation in which sadism and masochism dominate the relationships of a particular group of patients, and applies it specifically to the case material of a girl in adolescent psychotherapy treatment. A link is made between the patient's retreat from mature genital sexuality as she approaches adulthood and the use of sadism and masochism towards this aim. The paper concludes with a discussion on the increase in strength and potency of sadism and masochism in adolescence as contributing to the high risk of destructive and self-destructive behaviour present in this age group. |
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Keywords: | psychotherapy sexuality sadomasochism self-harm anorexia |
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