Psychodynamic Model


According to the psychodynamic model, the source of problems is a “phobic” avoidance of the experience and expression of certain feelings. Avoidance is accomplished through the development of defensive feelings, thoughts, and/or behaviors.


It is a good idea to begin to ask yourself: What are my feelings telling me?, and to treat all feelings as vital signals, not necessarily to be acted on, but always to be attended to.


An affect, or feeling, can be defined as a biologically endowed set of psychological, bodily physiological, facial, and hormonal responses that motivate us to move or act. There are two categories of affects: activating and inhibitory.


Activating Affects

  • feelings that move us to open up, engage, or approach
  • feelings that move us to become energized and initiate action, to approach rather than avoid, to open up rather than shut down, to run rather than freeze
  • may be used in adaptive or maladaptive ways
  • this model guides towards the adaptive and constructive versions of the activating affects

Anger/Assertion

  • activation to assert needs, set limits, push back, or stop an undesired action or boundary violation

Sadness/Grief

  • activation to cry, to engage social support, to relieve pain, and to accept the fact of loss

Fear/Terror

  • activation to flee or run away

Enjoyment/Joy

  • to calm and soothe the mind and body and to repeat pleasurable actions
  • activation of relaxing muscles and letting go, accepting with equanimity

Interest/Excitement

  • activation of focused attention, approach or exploratory behaviors

Closeness/Tenderness

  • activation of a nurturant response to others’ needs, as well as openness and trust in others
  • activation to embrace, tough, hold and care for others, and to be receptive, open, and vulnerable to them
  • interest/excitement forms the basis of attraction and romantic love
  • enjoyment/joy forms the basis of bonded or committed love
  • closeness refers to the blend of tenderness, care, and trust

Positive Feelings Toward the Self

  • maintenance of positive self-esteem and the protection of the integrity of self and self-care
  • self-compassion, self-care, self-esteem, (healthy) pride or joy in self, self-confidence, self-worth

Sexual Desire

  • activation to engage in sexual behavior

Inhibitory Affects

  • move us to cease action, to withdraw rather than advance, to tighten rather than loosen—they reign us in and modulate our responses
  • can be extremely helpful when used in moderation, but pathology can result when they are used either too much or too little

Anxiety/Panic

  • inhibits behaviors that would put the person in danger
  • fear/terror that paralyzes, apprehension, worry

Shame/Humiliation

  • inhibits behavior that is unacceptable to one’s sense of self

Guilt

  • inhibits behavior that is unacceptable to a cultural or societal rule or law

Emotional Pain/Anguish

  • inhibits behavior by causing discomfort of suffering
  • hurt, upset, depression, torment, etc..
  • not a single basic affect—may be a mix of a number of affects (ie. distress/anguish, guilt, shame, anger, and/or fear)

Contempt/Disgust

  • limits closeness to others

Adaptive affect is first consciously experienced within the body, then outwardly expressed interpersonally in a cognitively guided, fully controlled way. Adaptive expression can be recognized by the feeling of relief it brings. It makes things better, and can bring relationships closer.


Maladaptive expression of feelings is interpersonally destructive, resulting in worse feelings between people—more distance, frustration, misunderstanding, loneliness, and hopelessness.


Both activating and inhibitory feelings can have adaptive and maladaptive versions.


Inhibitory affects are adaptive, but become problematic when the inhibition is so great that it is paralyzing, or when it so weak that emotional responses are not modulated.


Affect phobias, or psychodynamic conflict, occurs when inhibitions cause great distress or are too strong for activating feelings to be expressed adaptively.


This model is designed to promote authentic functioning. Think of authentic functioning as living in the moment and responding deeply and genuinely, but always mindfully of others. This is characterized by an ability to experience and express the fullest passion—the firmest, clearest anger; sobbing in grief; attention in enthusiasm; the tranquility of joy—but only if such passion is used appropriately, constructively, and for mature purposes.



Defenses


Any avoidant thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, that limit or even eliminate from consciousness the activating affect, the inhibitory affect, or both.


This model views most problematic behavior (ie. depression, confusion, lack of motivation, aggression, addiction, etc.) as defenses against conflicted affects—activating affects that are overly inhibited.



The Triangle of Conflict


Visual representation of defenses and anxieties that modulate or block the underlying adaptive, activating feelings. The goal of the model is to restructure responses so the triangle of conflict operates in a more adaptive manner.





The Defense Pole – D: represents the maladaptive or problematic responses that function to block the conflict between inhibition and activation. defenses can be any thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. Maladaptive defensive patterns originate when we are taught (typically in our youth) that there is something frightening, shameful, or painful about out inner emotional responses—we defend ourselves by doing, thinking, or feeling something different.


The Feeling Pole – F: represents affects that activate adaptive action. These true, underlying feelings are basically healthy and life-enhancing. This pole contains only activating affects, and only in their adaptive forms.


The Anxiety Pole – A: represents the inhibitory affects. It is the linking of excessive inhibition with activating feeling that causes psychodynamic conflict, or conflicted feelings. Inhibitory affects restrict, hold back, and reign in our other more action-oriented feelings. Inhibitory feelings are natural, and in moderation are healthy and adaptive—people need anxiety, guilt, shame, and pain to protect them from danger and guide them away from hurtful experiences. Too few inhibitions can be destructive, and excessive inhibition can destroy the joy and richness of life.


Affect used to avoid another feeling or to attack the self is defensive.
Affect used to thwart adaptive activating responses is inhibitory.
Affect used to express wants and needs is adaptive and nurturing.
Some affects can function as both inhibitory and defensive at the same time; ie. depression.


When the poles of the Triangle of Conflict are in balance, they describe a normal interaction of defenses, anxieties, and adaptive feelings—intervention is necessary when they are out of balance. Some defenses and inhibitions are needed to modulate adaptive feelings, but ideally, life is lived from the seat of the F pole, is advised by the A pole, and helped by the D pole.




Source:


McCullough, L., Kuhn, N., Andrews, S., Kaplan, A., Wolf, J., & Hurley, C.L.. (2003). Treating Affect Phobia: A Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.