What is REGRESSION in PSYCHOLOGY

  • Nov 09, 2021
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What is regression in psychology: symptoms and examples

Regression is a very frequently used concept in psychoanalysis and contemporary psychology. Galimberti (1999) writes that the term regression is a return to earlier stages of psychic development that manifested in the forms of thought, in current relationships and in the structuring of the behavior of each person.

The term has been developed in the psychoanalytic field by Sigmund Freud. In this Psychology-Online article we will discover what is regression in psychology, with examples and insights into the symptoms of this psychological defense mechanism.

The basis of regression psychology has been Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has identified defense mechanisms and psychological strategies that protect an individual from distressing thoughts when he or she uses ineffective methods.

The concept of regression in psychology is sliding, active or passive, to more immature levels of defense or functioning; or also as the search for typical gratifications of previous phases of development. It's about a

inherent defense mechanism consisting of go back to an earlier stage of development or of the Self in response to a frustration of satisfaction

This mechanism implies the return to a more obsolete functioning or psychic state, to primitive defensive modalities or the return to the first relational objects, experienced as reassuring in the face of the anguish created by current difficulties or conflicts.

The concept of regression was introduced into psychoanalytic theory as part of topical theory, but different meanings were attributed.

Meaning of dreams and hallucinations

According to Freud, regression in psychology is a mechanism that produces and explains the phenomena of hallucination and I dream. In dream interpretation, Freud returns to the concept of regression to support his hypotheses relative, on the one hand, to dream work and, on the other, to the pathological processes of psychoneurosis.

Freud formulates the following definition of regression: the fact that in the dream the representation returns to the sensory image from which it was born at any given moment. Therefore, the neurologist uses this concept to explain the tendency to satisfy desires during sleep through hallucinatory and visual experience.

Meaning of backward movement

Freud also attributed to the term regression the meaning of movement backwards, in a systemic or topical sense. He postulated that in normal psychic functioning there was a predictable sequence of mental events:

  1. Of perception (conscious system).
  2. To memory (preconscious system).
  3. To oblivion (unconscious system).

Drive regression

With the discovery of infantile sexuality and the libido theory, he added to the concept of drive regression. This type of regression refers to the fact that in the presence of frustration, libidinal desires seek to achieve a perceptual identity with previous gratification memories.

Freud uses this same concept to examine libidic development, in terms of the organization of infantile sexuality and its implications in psychopathological processes in adults. In all three essays on sexual theory, he states the following: "All the factors that hinder the sexual development manifest their action as soon as they provoke a regression, a return to an earlier phase of developing".

It further postulates that in the early phases of existence, regression in psychology is the reaction to needs and frustrations with the attempt to experience perceptions, already lived before, pleasant.

Regression is a defense that occurs when, in the face of difficulties, or when faced with a situation that we consider much greater than our capacities, our mind sets in motion the mechanisms that we used in the past when faced with similar situations. Indeed, stress and trauma they can induce the person to use the typical mechanisms of regression to escape the problems of the present.

When we have a regression according to psychology

Let's take a work situation as an example. Imagine that we go through a difficult work period, where relationships with our colleagues or with our boss are delicate or that we make mistakes or finish a badly done project. This constant demand can make us feel insecure. In this case, a regressive reaction can manifest itself in the continuous request for confirmation to our employer or to our colleagues.

Another example of regression in psychology is when we have a fight with our partner. We can start crying and shaking without realizing that we are backing down. By staying in the couple life, regression can occur even when one of the two cannot support an adult relationship. Thus, totally unconsciously, he performs some action that will put the couple in crisis.

Regressive behavior can be simple or complex, temporary or permanent, harmful or harmless to the person displaying the behavior and to those around him. Thus, regression in psychology can manifest itself in the following ways:

  • Mild forms of regressionThese can include thumb sucking, chewing on a pen cap, or sleeping with a stuffed animal.
  • Moderate forms of regression- May include swaying and crying in a fetal position, wetting the bed, or shooting in an angry outburst. Most people do not know that they are regressing, while outsiders assume that their behavior is simply inappropriate and immature. In this article, we tell you how to treat an immature person.

Often times, the behaviors associated with regression are related to the psychological phase in which the individual has regressed. For example, an individual who regresses to the oral phase might suck on a pen, impulsively eat, vomit, or become verbally aggressive.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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