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Deadness as a Feeling Considered Through the Lens of The Walking Dead
1Professor and Vice Chair Academic, Education, and Clinical Affairs, University of New Mexico, Department of Psychiatry.
Psychodynamic Psychiatry
|February 26, 2021
Summary
Zombie depictions in popular media, like The Walking Dead, reflect psychological inner deadness. This analysis uses zombie metaphors to guide treatment for patients experiencing a lack of vitality.
Area of Science:
- Psychology and Media Studies
- Psychodynamic Theory
Background:
- Zombie films and shows have gained global popularity.
- The Walking Dead is a prominent example of this genre.
- The zombie metaphor can represent a psychological state of inner deadness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the psychological state of inner deadness using the zombie metaphor.
- To review psychodynamic concepts related to this experience.
- To guide the treatment of patients who feel they are not truly living.
Main Methods:
- Review of psychodynamic literature.
- Analysis of the zombie metaphor in popular culture.
- Application of these concepts to clinical practice.
Main Results:
- The zombie metaphor offers a framework for understanding and treating patients with a "deadened" psychological state.
- The Walking Dead illustrates detachment responses to pandemics.
- The show offers insights into discovering one's "best self" during crises.
Conclusions:
- Psychodynamic principles and the zombie metaphor can inform therapeutic approaches for patients experiencing inner deadness.
- Understanding detachment during crises, as seen in The Walking Dead, can help patients find resilience and self-discovery.
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