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THE OBJECT-PRESERVING FUNCTION OF SADOMASOCHISM.

Lee Grossman1

  • 1Training and Supervising Analyst at San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.

The Psychoanalytic Quarterly
|July 23, 2015
PubMed
Summary
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Sadomasochism, often linked to aggression in psychoanalysis, may serve to maintain object ties through control. Role reversibility in sadomasochistic dynamics offers developmental insights into adult sexual perversions.

Area of Science:

  • Psychoanalytic theory
  • Psychology
  • Sexuality studies

Background:

  • Psychoanalytic discourse increasingly associates sadism, masochism, and sadomasochism with aggression.
  • Freud's evolving theories created ambiguity regarding the interplay of libido and aggression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review Freud's varied conceptualizations of sadomasochism.
  • To illustrate the function of sadomasochism in maintaining object relations through control.
  • To explore developmental origins of sadomasochistic role reversibility.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of Freud's writings on sadomasochism.
  • Clinical case vignette analysis.
  • Developmental speculation.
Keywords:
ErosFreudSadomasochismaggressiondeath instinctdevelopmentfort-dalibidomasteryobject preservationperversionpleasuresadistic-masochistic role reversibility

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Main Results:

  • Sadomasochism can function to preserve a connection to an object via dominance.
  • Role reversibility is a key feature of sadomasochistic manifestations.
  • Sadomasochistic aims are relevant to understanding adult sexual perversions.

Conclusions:

  • Clarifying the conceptualization of sadomasochism is crucial in psychoanalytic thought.
  • Sadomasochism's role in object relations and its developmental trajectory warrant further investigation.
  • Understanding sadomasochism provides insight into adult sexual pathology.