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Identity confusion, bisexuality, and flight from the mother
1Postdoctoral Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796, USA.
Clinical Psychology Review
|July 4, 1998
Summary
Children of oral-sadistic mothers experience identity confusion and bisexuality struggles. Their success can trigger a negative therapeutic reaction due to the pathological mother-child dynamic and inherent masochism.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Theory
- Family Dynamics
Background:
- Examines the impact of maternal sadism on offspring development.
- Highlights the role of maternal omnipotence and paternal helplessness.
- Introduces the concept of externalizing maternal suffering onto the child.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the psychological effects of an oral-sadistic annihilating mother on her male and female offspring.
- To understand the origins of identity confusion and bisexuality struggles in offspring.
- To analyze the dynamics of the pathological mother-child relationship and its therapeutic implications.
Main Methods:
- Psychoanalytic case study analysis.
- Exploration of transference and countertransference dynamics.
- Theoretical framework integrating object relations and psychodynamic principles.
Main Results:
- Offspring exhibit identity confusion and struggle with bisexuality.
- Maternal sadism leads to externalization of suffering onto the child.
- Child's success can provoke a Negative Therapeutic Reaction, driven by masochism and unconscious aggression.
Conclusions:
- The oral-sadistic mother-child relationship fosters profound psychological disturbances in offspring.
- Masochism and self-destructiveness serve to maintain the pathological bond and manage aggression.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for effective psychoanalytic treatment.
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