Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
Published on: April 18, 2011
Medication and transitional phenomena
Abstract:
Winnicott's concept of transitional phenomena is employed as a means of further understanding the effect of medicine and the medication-giving process itself. Particular facets examined include the "soothing" function of medication, the placebo effect, and medication compliance, as well as countertransference difficulties encountered in administering the medicine. Medication as a transitional object is viewed largely as a creation along the self-object interface, with the "potential space" between patient and therapist recapitulating aspects of the original dyad. This usage of medicine as a transitional object, or its ultimate abandonment as such, is presented in terms of the vicissitudes of internal object relations, with clinical case examples to clarify particular issues.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Dependence
Drug Biotransformation: Overview
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Drug Administration and Therapy Phases: Overview
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications

