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Psychoanalytic Theories Of Regress

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Psychoanalytic theories suggest that depressive states are a direct result of loss, which causes the individual to regress to a more vulnerable and helpless state - that of an infant. Loss can be experienced in many forms, the loss of a job, of a loved one, loss of health, of finances, of possessions, of status, of freedom etc. The theory suggests that a depressed individual will associate the loss with a traumatic childhood experience such as loss of the mothers affection. The individual then adopts a similar outlook and self identity as they had when they were a child and regress into that dependent and vulnerable state. The theory also suggests that the depressed individuals subsequent behaviour can therefore be seen as an appeal for affection

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