Karen HorneyRafael C. Salamat, MA, RPm

Are these statements

TRUE or FALSE for you?

1. Its very important to me to please other

people.

2. When I feel distressed, I seek out an

emotionally strong person to tell my troubles

to.

3. I prefer routine more than change.

4. I enjoy being in a powerful leadership position.

5. I believe in and follow the advice: Do unto

others before they can do unto me.

6. I enjoy being the life of the party.

7. Its very important to me to be recognized for

my accomplishments.

8. I enjoy seeing the achievements of my

friends.

9. I usually end relationships when they begin

to get too close.

10.Its very difficult for me to overlook my own

mistakes and personal flaws.

Overview of KHs

psychoanalytic theory

Social and cultural conditions (during childhood) shape personality

Those who do not have their need for love and affection satisfied develop basic hostility towards their parents and, as consequence, suffer from basic anxiety.

We combat basic anxiety by using 3 ways of relating to others: (1)moving towards people (2) moving against people (3) moving away from people

Normal people may use all these, neurotics tend to use one kind

Overview of KHs

psychoanalytic theory

Neurotics compulsive behavior generate an

intrapsychic conflict which takes two forms:

self-image or self-hatred

The Idealized self-image is expressed as (1)

neurotic search for glory, (2) neurotic claims

or (3) neurotic pride

Self-hatred is expressed as either (1) self-

contempt or (2) alienation

Biography She viewed her father as a religious hypocrite

who was seldom there (sea captain)

She adored her mother

She wanted to be a doctor, and she succeeded, being one of the very first women in Berlin.

Karen Danielsen met Oskar Horney, had 3 kids

She was not faightful, and their marriage ended; She had an affair with a married Erich Fromm when he migrated to Chicago

Died of cancer at 65

Horney against Freud

Sticking to Freuds thoughts will stagnate both

theoretical thought and practice

Freud disregard women, I dont like that

Move out from instinct (internal) and include

cultural and social forces (external)

Humans are innately good and amenable to

change

The Importance of Culture and

Childhood Experiences Culture

Culture is the basis for neurotic and normal development; modern culture is based on competition

Competitiveness and Basic Hostility spawn from Feelings of Isolation

We avoid every opportunity of being and feeling lonely, therefore, cellphones

Feeling of loneliness needs of affection overvaluing love people see love and affection as an answer to their problems

Genuine love is different from a desperate need for love

Before there were phones, what were people

doing during moments of loneliness?

Childhood experiences

Similarly to other theorists, many issues stem

from Childhood experiences

Traumatic experiences in childhood root from a

lack of warmth and affection (beatings, sexual

abuse, neglect)

Difficult childhood Neurotic needs

Things are unclear, so youre never satisfied, and

you dont know what you want, but it makes you

happy for a moment. Having neurotic needs is like

a vice / addiction

Basic Hostility and Basic Anxiety

A supportive environment provide us with feelings of safety and satisfaction, parents are not perfect

If the parents do not satisfy their childrens needs, children develop basic hostility towards their parents, which they repress

The repressed BH gives us a feeling of isolation and helplessness is this hostile world; this feeling is called basic anxiety

These two are inextricably woven

How people protect themselves

from Basic Anxiety

Affection does not always lead to authentic love (ex. Sex, gifts)

Submissiveness people do this with other people, institutions, orgs, or religious groups. People attempt this seamless union in order to gain affection

Power tendency to dominate othersPrestige protect self from humiliation by humiliating others (belittling someone, to make self appear better)

Possession depriving others (greed); protect self from poverty

Withdrawal emotional detachment (no one can hurt me I dont care)

Neurotic Need

Ways to combat basic anxiety; more specific than the defense strategies mentioned earlier

The 10 categories are:

1. For affection and approval lives to peoples expectations in an immature way (I will do whatever he/she says)

2. For a powerful partner dreading being alone or deserted (battered wife says no one else will love me)

Neurotic Need

3. To restrict ones life within narrow borders - Content with very little, doesnt demand others (Chill Hayaan mo na, oks lang)

4. For power - combined with prestige and possession; control others, avoids feeling weak

5. To exploit others taking advantage of others and making sure that the self is taken advantaged for (one-way friendship, friend-zoning, user-friendly-ing)

6. For social recognition and prestige attract attention to themselves (basking in the glory, champion, showing-off)

Neurotic Need

7. For personal admiration self-esteem is fed by admiration and approval (thanks! IKR fishing)

8. For ambition and personal achievement to be the best in everything

9. For self-sufficiency and independence a person who chooses to suffer than borrow money from family / friends, a womanizer afraid of a co-dependent relationship

10. For perfection and unassailability desperately hides weaknesses, attempts perfection as a proof of their superiority

Neurotic Trends

We use neurotic trends to solve basic conflicts, but sometimes in a non-productive and neurotic way

1. Moving toward people not genuine, protecting oneself against feelings of loneliness, morbid dependency

2. Moving against people sees everyone as hostile, aggressive, appearing tough and ruthless

3. Moving away from people behaving in a detached manner, privacy and independence

Neurotic Needs fall under

a Neurotic Trend

1. Moving toward people Neurotic needs 1,

2, 3

2. Moving against people Neurotic needs

4,5,6,7,8

3. Moving away from people Neurotic needs

9, 10

Intrapsychic Conflicts

Interpersonal experiences becomes a part of our belief system develops a life of their own

Intrapsychic conflicts have become very different from Interpersonal conflicts (origin); two kinds:

Idealized self-image: painting a godlike picture of oneself

Self-hatred: despising real self

First IC: Idealized Self-Image

Healthy person: develops security and

confidence and ultimately, self-realization

Unhealthy person: feels alienated from self,

desperate to acquire a sense of identity

forms an ISI

A person who has an unrealistic / perfect view of

self as heroic, all-knowing, saint-like, etc.

ISI has 3 aspects: (1) Neurotic search for glory,

(2)Neurotic Claims, (3) Neurotic Pride

Neurotic search for glory the drive that moves us to actualizing our ISI; has 4 elements:

Self-idealization (thought process, imagination)

Need for perfection (molding self, sets of dos and donts; tyranny of the shoulds)

Neurotic ambition (the compulsive drive toward superiority)

Drive toward a vindictive triumph (aim to put others to shame or defeat them through ones success)

Neurotic Claims statement that together make up a fantasy of a person wherein he deserve greater than others (I deserve.because [irrational explanation])

Neurotic Pride not a realistic view of self; loudly proclaimed in order to protect and support a glorified self (likes to post p-shopped pictures, posting achievements, exaggerates ones profile)

Second IC: Self-Hatred

If we use our glorified self as a measure of our

worth, we will end up despising our self;

there are six major ways of self-hatred:

Relentless demand of the self (tyranny of the

shoulds, basta, mali, dapat)

Merciless self-accusation (blaming self,

scrutinizing self negatively)

Self-contempt (doubting, discrediting self, self-

loathe, inability to be proud of self)

Self-frustration (restricting self and saying I dont

deserve this; putting self in frustrating situations)

Self-torment (self-torture, starting an activity

that one can definitely fail in, exaggerating a

headache, physical abuse)

Self destructive actions and impulses (compared

to ST, SDAI are chronic, breaking off a healthy

relationship)

Some people want to underachieve so they have an excuse to be miserable

Some people want to feel miserable so they can justify (1) how they see themselves (failures) and (2) how they feel

Some people see themselves as failures (even before trying) because working hard and then failing is disappointing and scary

Some people feel shitty because they just do (basic anxiety)

The root of

neuroses is social in

nature, but so is the

success of human

development

Social support is

key!