Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The bipolar causality of regression

  • Published:
The American Journal of Psychoanalysis Aims and scope

The illness followed close upon the fulfillment of a wish and put an end to all enjoyment of it....

At first sight there is something strange about this; but on closer consideration we shall reflect that it is not at all unusual for the ego to tolerate a wish as harmless so long as it exists in phantasy alone and seems remote from fulfillment, whereas the ego will defend itself hotly against such a wish as soon as it approaches fulfillment and threatens to become a reality.

Sigmund Freud (1916/1957) "Those Wrecked by Success," pp. 317–318

Like Polycrates, the ego sacrifices success in order to avoid the evil of death, or at least to put it off.

Otto Rank (1936/1972)Will Therapy and Truth and Reality, p. 188

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Balint, M. (1979).The Basic Fault: Therapeutic Aspects of Regression. New York: Brunner/Mazel. (Originally published, 1969.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, M. (1978).Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. New York: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaplin, J.P. (1975).Dictionary of Psychology (rev. ed.). New York: Dell Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clance, P.R., and Imes, S.A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention.Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 15(3): 241–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferenczi, S. (1955). Child analysis in the analysis of adults. InFinal Contributions to the Problems and Methods of Psycho-analysis, E. Mosbacher et al. (trans.), pp. 126–142. New York: Basic Books. (Originally published, 1931.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, R.W. (1984). A concept of the primary fantasy bond: A developmental perspective.Psychotherapy, 21(2): 218–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, R.W. (1985).The Fantasy Bond: Structure of Psychological Defenses. New York: Human Sciences Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, R.W. (1986). The "inner voice" and suicide.Psychotherapy, 23(3): 439–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, R.W. (1987). The "voice": The dual nature of guilt reactions.American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 47(3): 210–229.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, R.W. (1988).Voice Therapy: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to Self-Destructive Behavior. New York: Human Sciences Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, R. W., and Seiden, R.H. (1987). Microsuicide and suicidal threats of everyday life.Psychotherapy, 24(1): 31–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1953). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. In J. Strachey (ed. and trans.),The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (vol. 7, pp. 135–243). London: Hogarth Press. (Originally published, 1905.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1957). Some character-types met with in psycho-analytic work. In J. Strachey (ed. and trans.),The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (vol. 14, pp. 311–333). London: Hogarth Press. (Originally published, 1916.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guntrip, H. (1969).Schizoid Phenomena Object-Relations and the Self. New York: International Universities Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, T.H., and Rahe, R.H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11: 213–218.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser, H. (1965). Personal communication to Allen J. Enelow, June 14, 1956. In L.B. Fierman (ed.),Effective Psychotherapy: The Contribution of Hellmuth Kaiser. New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langs, R. (1982).Psychotherapy: A Basic Text. New York: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahler, M.S. (1979). On sadness and grief in infancy and childhood: Loss and restoration of the symbiotic love object. InThe Selected Papers of Margaret S. Mahler, M.D., vol. 1,Infantile Psychosis and Early Contributions (pp. 261–279). New York: Jason Aronson. (Originally published, 1961.)

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, J.B. (1980).Death Anxiety: The Loss of the Self. New York: Gardner Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parr, G. (producer and director) (1985).Micro-suicide: A Case Study (video). Los Angeles: Glendon Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rank, O. (1972).Will Therapy and Truth and Reality, J. Taft (trans.). New York: Alfred A Knopf. (Originally published, 1936.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Willi, J. (1982).Couples in Collusion: The Unconscious Dimension in Partner Relationships, W. Inayat-Khan and M. Tchorek (trans.). Claremont, CA: Hunter House. (Originally published, 1975.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Winnicott, D.W. (1958).Collected Papers: Through Paediatrics to Psycho-analysis. London: Tavistock Publications.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2049 Century Park East, Suite 3000, 90067, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Robert W. Firestone Ph. D. (Glendon Association)

Authors
  1. Robert W. Firestone Ph. D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Firestone, R.W. The bipolar causality of regression. Am J Psychoanal 50, 121–135 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250909

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250909

Search

Navigation