Dynamic model of psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis rescues the importance of cognitive, emotional and social aspects for mental health. He does it from a different perspective, taking into account such revolutionary aspects as the unconscious, repression and sexuality. It uses various approaches to human beings and the dynamic model is one of them.

It is an approach to our personality which was innovative since its creation and which is still considered today, despite multiple criticisms. We invite you to travel with us through this model. We will tell you what it is about, what it is made of and why it has been important for psychology.

Besides, We invite you to realize that there are aspects so inherent and essential for human beings, that we usually avoid, and that psychoanalysis rescues to give us another vision; one that goes beyond a static personality.

Basic assumptions of psychoanalysis

Behavior is mediated by unconscious motives: The mind has contents and processes that are inaccessible to consciousness, but that influence judgments, feelings and behaviors. According to Freud, the unconscious mind is the main source of human behavior.Feelings as adults are rooted in childhood experiences: Psychodynamic theory states that the events of our childhood have a great influence on our adult life, molding our personality. Events that occur in childhood can remain in the unconscious and cause problems in adulthood.Every behavior has a cause, even slips of the tongue: Psychoanalysis is strongly deterministic, since it considers that our behavior is caused entirely by unconscious factors over which we have no control. Unconscious thoughts and feelings can be transferred to the conscious mind in the form of slips of the tongue.The personality is made up of three parts, the id, the ego and the superego.: the id is the primitive and instinctive component of the personality. It consists of all the inherited (i.e. biological) components of personality present at birth. The ego develops to mediate between the desires of the id and the restrictions of the superego. The latter incorporates the values ​​and morals of society that are learned from parents and others.

Dynamic model of psychoanalysis, what is it about?

Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis, was a doctor and neurologist, as well as a great writer. This author not only approached sexuality, as many believe. Among his theories there is one that talks about our personality, to address it he uses the following models or topics: topographic, structural, genetic, economic and dynamic.

Now, the dynamic model of personality consists of the mechanisms that occur in the subject’s mind and that are characterized by being in movement; Thus, they are in constant flux: those who attempt inhibition and those who seek gratification. That is to say, This is the model that encompasses the conflict between forces that occur in our mind.

So, There is a psychic dynamic that regulates us so that we can adapt. Furthermore, in this model Freud suggests that our mental health will depend on the defenses and self-sanctions we have, conditioned by the gratification of our impulses.

Defense mechanisms according to the dynamic model

The psychic dynamic that ensures that we adapt is called a defense mechanism and is one of the components of the dynamic model of personality. according to Freudian psychoanalysis. In other words, defense mechanisms would be those ways we have to deal with our anxieties that may arise due to various factors. There are various defense multiples, let’s look at some of them:

Repression. We use it mainly to encapsulate what is unacceptable to us, trying not to contaminate the rest of our actions or thoughts.Displacement. It is the mechanism in which the emotional charge from one source is redirected towards another, considered more acceptable by our consciousness.Reactive training. It occurs when we adopt a character opposite to the desire that is unacceptable to us.Cleavage. It is about the division of our psyche into both acceptable and unacceptable areas.Projection. It is about transferring what is unacceptable to us to another subject or situation.Regression. When we flee presenting characteristics of a previous evolutionary state.

Here we show you some of the defense mechanisms. We emphasized those formulated by Freud, but there are many more of them and not, for example: sublimation, denial, introjection, humor, compensation, isolation, intellectualization, fixation, rationalization, etc.

Importance of the dynamic model of psychoanalysis for psychology

The dynamic model of psychoanalysis was and continues to be essential for psychology, Since from this conception we began to talk about defense mechanisms and various psychological currents continue to use it as a term.

Maybe, It is not continued to be addressed in all the complexity it encompasses, but taking into account the fact that we use certain processes to evade our anxieties, and that generally these processes follow unconscious pathways.

In this sense, Anna Freud wrote a book titled The self and defense mechanisms continued to explore this theory. Such was its scope that other theoretical approaches to psychology emphasize these mechanisms, although seen from another perspective. For example, cognitive psychology.

HoweverToday we have a long list of defense mechanisms, which perhaps could not exist without the wonderful contributions of Sigmund Freud.

Definitely, This is one of the essential legacies that Freud left us. Thanks to their contribution, we now know that there are processes that help our lives to be more in tune, to be able to be in society, although they can also be double-edged swords that help us hide what is unacceptable to our conscience.

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