Posted by shadows721 on July 18, 2004, at 22:03:47
In reply to Re: Somatization -psychic defense against feelings, posted by fires on July 18, 2004, at 21:12:58
"You seem intent on making everything due to "feelings". Correct?"
Answer: Some depressed people overuse certain psychological defense mechanisms --denial, isolation, and repression, --to help keep "feelings" out of conscious awareness. Defenses help protect our conscious minds from awareness that underneath, we are in conflict with ourselves. When reality is too much to be accepted--a family member gets murdered--we can go into denial. Defense mechanisms are necessary for dealing with difficult situations or people. But, they can be used by people with depression as a way to AVOID feelings. A person can become so hypertrophied, that they lose their ability to feel altogether. This explains why the body will take on the feelings the person refuses to deal with. Hence, the person develops a Somatization Disorder to express what is not being expressed in with the conscious mind.
Furthermore, when we don't feel bad things. We will not feel good things either. We become numb to our feelings and to other feelings. The effects are enormous. So, how is it so beneficial to *not* feel?
Sorry, Fires, I didn't understand the relevance of your comparing my explanation of Somatization Disorder and those other conditions. Help explain, please?
Thank you.
poster:shadows721
thread:366835
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040716/msgs/367578.html