Disordered Thought and Development: Chaos to Organization in the Moment

100 Pages·2013·0.73 MB·English

by  Theodore Fallon M.D.

Disordered Thought and Development
The Vulnerable Child: Studies in Social Issues
and Child Psychoanalysis
Series Editors:
M. Hossein Etezady and Mary Davis
The VulnerableChildseries isbased onworkthatcomes outof an ongoingVulnerable
ChildStudyGroup,foundedbyTheodoreCohen,MD.ItissponsoredbytheAmerican
Psychoanalytic Association, and in the past was co-sponsored by the Association for
Child Psychoanalysis. For many years the group has met regularly to discuss what life
eventsrenderchildrenmorevulnerabletodevelopmentalandemotionaldisturbances,and
whatinterventionshelptoreducethatvulnerability.Thestudygrouppresentsaworkshop
lookingatvariousaspectsoftheseissuesatthemeetingsoftheAmericanPsychoanalytic
Association.Co-chairsofthestudygroupareM.HosseinEtezady,MD,andMaryDavis,
MD;Dr.CohenremainsinvolvedasChairEmeritus.
The VulnerableChildseries publishesvolumeswhich arisefrom theworkof theStudy
Group,andlookstowardexpandingofferingstootherpublicationsthataddresstheissues
whichmakechildrenmorevulnerabletomentalhealthproblems,aswellasinterventions
thathelptoamelioratethatvulnerability.
TitlesintheSeries
VulnerableChildVolume1editedbyBernardPacella,TheodoreB.Cohen,andM.Hosse-
inEtezady
VulnerableChildVolume2editedbyBernardPacella,TheodoreB.Cohen,andM.Hosse-
inEtezady
VulnerableChildVolume3editedbyBernardPacella,TheodoreB.Cohen,andM.Hosse-
inEtezady
ClinicalPerspectivesonReflectiveParenting:KeepingtheChild’sMindinMindedited
byM.HosseinEtezadyandMaryDavis
MotheringwithoutaHome:AttachmentRepresentationsandBehaviorsofHomeless
MothersandChildrenbyAnnSmolenwithAlexandraHarrison
DisorderedThoughtandDevelopment:ChaostoOrganizationintheMomentbyTheo-
doreFallonwithSusanP.Sherkow
Disordered Thought and Development
Chaos to Organization in the Moment
Theodore Fallon, Jr.
with Susan P. Sherkow
JASONARONSON
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Fallon,Theodore,1954-author.
Disorderedthoughtanddevelopment:chaostoorganizationinthemoment/TheodoreFallon;with
SusanP.Sherkow.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-7657-1017-8(cloth:alk.paper)--ISBN978-0-7657-1018-5(electronic)
1.Childdevelopmentdeviations.2.Developmentallydisabledchildren--Servicesfor.3.Develop-
mentallydisabledchildren--Familyrelationships.4.Pediatricneuropsychiatry.I.Sherkow,SusanP.,
1944-author.II.Title.
RJ135.F352014
618.92'8--dc23
2013042482
TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsofAmerican
NationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary
Materials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Contents
Foreword vii
M.HosseinEtezady
Introduction 1
1 PsychoanalyticProcessinaPsychoticAdolescent 15
2 PsychoanalyticProcessinaYoungChildwithaPervasive
DevelopmentalDisturbance 25
3 AModeloftheMoment 31
4 NeurodevelopmentandPsychoanalysis:DiscussionofEvanandJay 47
SusanP.Sherkow,MD
5 BriefNotesfromThreeClinicalCases 63
6 Summary,Comments,ImplicationsandOpenQuestions 73
References 81
Index 85
AbouttheAuthors 89
v

Foreword
M. Hossein Etezady
Therapidaccumulationofnewfindingsintheexpandingfieldsofneurosci-
ence and molecular biology has greatly contributed to the gradual filling of
gaps in our appreciation and understanding of the mind and the various
aspects of emotional and cognitive functions in the course of development.
This has provided us with new means and methods of objectification and
quantification in many areas of particular interest from a psychoanalytic
perspective.Examplesamongmanysuchareasmightbementalization,theo-
ry of mind,thought process,organization of thought andmemoryand, more
specifically,theroleofaffectsandtheirsignalfunctionindefense,inconflict
resolution and in compromise formation. Another major area thus made
availableforexaminationandexplorationistheinterfacebetweentheexperi-
ential/subjectiveandrepresentational/interactive,ononehand,andtheircor-
respondingorganic/physiologicalsubstratesontheotherhand.Thisinterface
is where we might look for answers to questions regarding the nature and
machinationsofthemagicalmysterythatbridgesthesomatothepsycheand
thebraintothemind.
Inconsideringsubjectivestatesasthemaindomainofpsychoanalysis,we
find that they are capable of being directly accessed only by the individual
subjectalone.Otherscanonlyperceivethisindirectly,inverbalnarrative,via
identification or empathy, for example, in part or parts, or may or may not
recognize,affirm,repudiate,mirror,negateorelaboratethem,insomeorall
aspects. Since the essential subject of psychoanalysis is subjectivity itself,
directlyaccessibleonlytothatindividualalone,wecanrelyonneuroscience
to inform us about the elemental ingredients that constitute the concretely
objectivegroundingthatabalancedviewofanystateofmindwouldrequire.
Interactions, whether viewed developmentally, casually in mundane daily
dealingsortherapeuticallyasinclinicalencounters,occurinaninter-subjec-
vii
viii Foreword
tivefieldwhichisexperienceddifferentlybyeachside,andevensoinareas
ofsharedsubjectivityandoverlappingsaliency.Thisdifferenceisparticular-
lyinformativewithregardtoattachmenttypesaswellasmodesandstatesof
relatednessthateachsidemaybecapableofengaging.
States of relatedness can be distinguished by their developmental levels
andfunctionalrelevancyinthreeorganizationalmodes:1.themonadicmode
(oral/primary narcissism/autoerotic), 2. the dyadic mode (transitional/anal-
sadistic),and3.thetriadicmode(oedipal/normal-neurotic).Atriadicstateof
relatedness implies satisfactory oedipal resolution of the infantile neurosis,
sufficiently demarcated id, ego, superego boundaries as well as predomi-
nanceofrealityprincipleandsecondaryprocessoverprimaryprocessthink-
ing. The capacity to be alone in the presence of another emerges by the end
of the first year, coinciding with the “dawning of inter-subjectivity.” With
the advent of rapprochement at about the middle until the end of the second
yearboththemotherandthechildfacethechallengeoflearningtobeinthe
presenceofanother,inanewway,asinfantileomnipotencebeginstorecede
andapostambivalentstageisentered.
The transition from a dyadic state of relatedness to one that is triadic
occurshandinhandwithestablishingthebeginningsofthecapacityforself
and object constancy (by end of the 3rd year), which itself is reliant on the
optimalresolutionofrapprochement.Theso-calledcriticalsub-phaseofrap-
prochementcoincideswiththelatterhalfofthesecondyear.Optimalresolu-
tion of rapprochement is considered to be critical for the “healing of the
split,” to come about incrementally during one year of consolidation, from
about ages 2 to 3, characterized by battles of will, often referred to as the
terribletwo’s.Bytheendofthethirdyearweshouldnormallybeabletosee
the germinating beginnings and gradual emergence of self and object con-
stancy,tolerance of ambivalenceas well as thecapacityforselfandinterac-
tive regulation guided by signal affects. By about age 4, having established
the beginnings of self and object constancy, a triadic state of relatedness in
the context of an oedipal organization can now be entered. By this time
symbolic representation, the pretend mode of thinking, as well as language
andnarrativeformationarebeginningtobemorereliablyavailable.
“The three calamities of childhood,” namely fear of loss of the object
initially,followedbythefearofthelossoftheloveoftheobjectandfinally,
fear of punishment represented by castration anxiety, may now be regulated
bytheuse of signal-affects, in theserviceof thehomeostaticfunctionof the
ego,maintainingnarcissisticequilibriumaswellasfinetuningselfandinter-
active regulation. This, at this time, is best accomplished mainly by using
defensiverepression,astheoedipalresolutionoftheinfantileneurosisbegins
totakehold.Repressionthusfuelsegogrowthbydivertingneutralizedlibidi-
nalandaggressive energiesinto sublimatedchannels of dischargeandadap-
tiveaims,whichallowstheegoanditsresourcestogrow,leadingtoincreas-
Foreword ix
ing autonomy of the superego and the ego-ideal. Individuals may be fixated
at,orregresstoearlierlevelsoflibidinaloregodevelopment,archaicobject
relations,infantileomnipotenceandgrandiosity characteristicof pre-oedipal
modes of relatedness. Fixations are more common in organic entities while
regression is usually associated with psychological conditions or organic
pathologyarrivinglaterinlife.
Engagementinatriadicstateofrelatednesspresentsanoedipalconstella-
tion with new challenges that may be insurmountable for those who are
vulnerable or at risk, due to nature, nurture or both. In an inter-subjective
view, when we consider development, parenting, interactive regulation or
relationships either in daily life or in the course of analytic treatment, levels
oforganizationandmodesaswellasstatesofrelatednessmatterwithsimilar
importanceonbothsidesoftheintersubjectivefield.
In dealing with the subject of thought disorder and in order to better
understand our patient’s needs and experiences, or to identify needed inter-
ventions and formulate the therapist’s part during treatment, insights pro-
vided by an ego-psychological conceptual model can be uniquely illuminat-
ing.Hartmann’smeta-psychologyof psychosisisbased ontheego’slackof
capability to neutralize primitive aggressive energy. Un-neutralized, aggres-
sion can overwhelm existing structures and derail developmental organiza-
tion.Neutralizationofaggressioninthisframeisoriginallyprovidedviathe
mother’s function as an auxiliary ego, while she strives to libidinize the
interactive experience. Neutralization,or thefusion of aggressive andlibidi-
naldrives,cruciallydependentuponcaregivers’libidinalconstancyandem-
pathicresonance,providesthedevelopingegowithasustainablereservoirof
fuelforself-re-enforcingactivity,growthandadaptation.Incasesofpsycho-
sis we encounter a predominance of primary process thinking and primary
narcissism, insufficient self and object differentiation, diffuse ego boundar-
ies,impairedrealityprocessingandblurringofwishandthoughtwithreality
andaction.Realitybecomesintolerableunlessbrokendownordistortedtofit
in with the delusional reconstitution of an inner world which consists of
archaic introjects and narcissistic part-objects. Briefly put, any factor inter-
feringwiththecapacityoftheegotosufficientlyneutralizeaggressiveener-
gy in order to fuel progressive development and to establish organizational
mastery at various levels of development, in susceptible individuals may
produce psychosis. Such a pathogenic causation may be found anywhere
from the molecular, organic and genetic levels to acquired vulnerability,
whether internal or external, transient or permanent, at any developmental
level and in any part of the life cycle. Risk and vulnerability take many
shapes and run deep and far, both on the side of the innate givens, tempera-
ment and genetics as well as on the side of the facilitating environment, for
example,concerningthequalityandadequacyofthecareandsometimesthe
fitbetweentheparticularchildandtheprimarycaregiver.