Envy can arise wherever there exists inequality between people: in societies and families, between siblings, genders, and generations. “Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay” (R.W. Emerson). Envy has a bad reputation, at times even considered taboo, and yet still it proves to be ever-present. This episode explores the psychoanalytic understanding of envy and its implications for society and therapeutic processes, such as the phenomenon known as ‘negative therapeutic reaction.’...

The idea of split personality is fertile ground for stories of great imagination—while regrettably also inspiring and perpetuating numerous misunderstandings that continue to cling to the kind of personality organization that we will take up in this episode. *there is a small cultural variation in the episode. We use the German abbreviation "DIS" for Dissociative Identity Disorder. In English, however, the expression "DID" is common. We think that the episode is still easy to understand and...

In contrast to “black depression,” white depression denotes an often inconspicuous, insidious affliction that can last a lifetime. Its distinguishing quality is a feeling of meaninglessness and emptiness that is nearly impossible to grasp, even if everything in life actually appears to be working out and there is reason to be joyful. As if, despite all efforts, it was simply impossible to truly believe in anything at all, as if all love and enthusiasm were simply a stage play, acted out for...

“You’re free to do anything you want! But this man, of all people—you’ll never be happy with him.” Or: “Of course, if you don’t have time, you don’t have to come to the birthday dinner. But Uncle Henry will be very sad if you don’t. He was asking about you.” Or: “Yeah, yeah, I got it, independence is very important. But your own apartment, what’s the point? You can live with us, it’s much cheaper—and we’ll leave you alone.” Sentences like this are likely to be familiar in every family. In...

One couple fights over household responsibilities. Another is trapped in a cycle of jealousy and control. Still another strives for total harmony and oneness—only to be tormented by intense anxiety the moment small differences arise. With the help of the famous psychodynamic concept of collusion, this episode deals with the often conflictual relations between couples. We often encounter in romantic relationships the contours of our unconscious longings and fears, factors that are anchored in...

Addiction is one of the most widespread forms of mental illness. However, it is also burdened with many stigmas, and those suffering from it are often stigmatized. Treating it is considered difficult. But why do people become addicted? Can anyone become an addict? What is the psychological function of addictive behavior? This episode is an introduction to the psychoanalytic understanding of addictive disorders, focusing especially on the unconscious dynamics of shame and guilt. Support us on...

“You are what you eat.” We are continuously negotiating our identity through food, setting the boundaries of the self. Inscribed into the symptoms of anorexia is an unconscious conflict of identity, which has something to do with one’s own longings and cravings, with a hunger for the other. In psychodynamic therapies, these longings become part of the therapeutic exchange, while also leading to a characteristic dilemma. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes:...

History has certainly never failed to offer reasons and occasions to cause violence of all sorts; making it understandable how Freud arrived at the following verdict towards the end of his life: “Homo homini lupus—man is wolf to man. Who in the face of all his experience of life and of history, will have the courage to dispute this assertion?” One form of violence in particular has played an especially sinister role, at least in recent history and continuing up to the present: the...

The diagnosis of “narcissism” appears to have come into vogue, not only in the field of clinical psychology. It is an inescapable diagnosis for just about any critique of contemporary society. But what exactly are we talking about when we talk of narcissism? How do such diagnoses of our times relate to the clinical and psychoanalytical understanding of narcissism? Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel:...

Grief is one of life’s inevitable experiences, for we live in a world that is fleeting. Processing loss is one of the most difficult mental processes and yet every human being must face it. Some mourning processes are so severe that they lead to mental illnesses. This episode deals with the various phenomena and nuances of mourning and how therapy can accompany this process. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel:...

After the previous phases of therapy, in which Alex’s symptoms and later his own life story took center stage, the outbreak of the Corona crisis sends the therapeutic work into turmoil. Fears of infection, but also alleged “conspiracy theories” confine the therapeutic space and raise questions. These become, at the same time, the starting point for uncovering the transgenerational entanglements. Alex explores the traumatic history of his family and finds not only a demon, still carrying out...

Alex, a man in his mid-thirties, comes to therapy with psychosomatic symptoms and anxiety attacks, for which initially there appears to be no explanation. In the first phase of therapy, this often first involves finding words for his own feelings and sorting out the inner chaos. In the meantime, an intensive therapeutic process has begun, over the course of which Alex gradually comes to accept his life story as his own. This guides the therapeutic conversation back to events during the...

This case study is about Alex, a man in his mid-thirties, who spent over four years in analysis, most of that time with three sessions a week. Alex came into therapy with psychosomatic symptoms and anxiety attacks for which there appeared to be no explanation. The story of therapy describes the development of mental space in which emotional meaning gradually emerges, thoughts and feelings connect, and inner chaos is organized. This is a delicate process, for an ominous light falls on the...

We well be back in March with new episodes! See you soon Your Lives-of-the-Unconscious-Team Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org or our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Join our newsletter: Write a mail with the subject "Newsletter registration" to [email protected] Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=X5F9LSUUUQDWU

Attachment, love, always goes hand in hand with losses—thus happiness and sadness are also close relatives. In this episode we will hear more about why separation and loss not only mean suffering, but also play an important role for psychological development. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org

Psychoanalysis is often equated with the work of Sigmund Freud. Contemporary modes of thought and therapeutic approaches such as relational psychoanalysis or mentalization-based therapy methods are often less well known, despite being central to current practice. This episode provides an introduction to the concepts of contemporary psychoanalysis. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Our youtube-channel:...

Conspiracy phantasma derive their power from affects, not from arguments. They cannot be understood by differentiating them from some supposedly reasonable normality – for normality may not be so reasonable after all – but only in the reflection of their affective cohesiveness. In fact, they are a social psychological phenomenon of extraordinary proportions: and a case for depth psychology. In this episode we will hear more about the role conspiracy theories can play for the psyche and why...

“The school of C.G. Jung has played a controversial role in psychoanalysis. More than almost any other psychological school, it grants a greater role to the symbolic world of the psyche, fairy tales, myths, and legends, but also alchemy or astrology. The significance of this spiritual reality is expressed at life-historical thresholds and in crisis situations, but also in anger over the lousy ending of a television series. Also reflected in the controversy surrounding C.G. Jung is an old...

“A trauma does not disappear through silence; it cannot be silenced out of existence. It remains effective in fantasies, dreams, and experiences, but eludes language and thus understanding. It only becomes more diffuse, more intangible; it becomes a shadow or an undead, casting an invisible spell over the family history... But how do you break a spell?” Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Support us on Patreon and get the...

“It is important to emphasize that in every victim of trauma there is a desire for vitality and healing. Consciously and unconsciously, the injured psyche tries to understand what has happened, to mitigate the destructiveness, and to reintegrate it into one’s own identity.” Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives

“What remains unresolved in the mind knows no time.” This episode is the first of a three-part series on the psychoanalysis of trauma. In the first part we will hear about attachment and early childhood trauma and the impact it can have on our psychological development. Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives

We wish you a relaxing summer! See you soon Your Lives-of-the-Unconscious-Team Visit our website: www.psy-cast.org or our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Join our newsletter: Write a mail with the subject "Newsletter registration" to [email protected] Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lives_of_the_unconscious

“And how is this supposed to work here?” This is the question that quite a few patients ask at the beginning of psychotherapy. How psychotherapy works—especially psychoanalytic treatment—is, at first glance, more difficult to explain than, say, the effect of a medical procedure. A physicians has instruments, to operate on a broken leg, prescribes exercises or drugs, for example an antibiotic. The patient soon feels better and the therapy has worked. But what is it like in psychotherapy?...

Over the course of a therapeutic session, a depressed patient talks about his work colleagues with whom he is working on a group project for his studies. The patient says: "Yesterday we wanted to meet to discuss our project and everyone brought their work. As we were exchanging ideas, I noticed that everyone else was already much further along with their work than me. I have the feeling that they are all much faster in thinking and have more energy and…,” the patient takes a short break and...