Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Borderline Personality and the Transitional Realm


Affiliations
1 Department of Clinical Psychology, M.Se. Theoretieal Psychoanalytic Studies, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


There is an established clinical co-relation between the use of transitional objects in adulthood and borderline personality disorder which is rarely found in any other personality disorder. The transitional phenomenon as described by Winnicott has a specific place in an infant's life, bringing about the successful and smooth acknowledgment and acceptance of the reality principle. Winnicotfs work on transitional phenomenon and objects still remains pertinent in understanding the mind of the borderline personality. One of the current models of borderline, the Mentalization Model proposes two psychic modes of functioning for the borderline patient, namely, the “psychic equivalence” mode and the “pretend mode”. The description of these two modes seems reminiscent of the state of mind of an infant in the transitional phase, i.e., where reality and fantasy are not clearly delineated or distinguished and remain fused with each other. This paper explores the possibility of the adult borderline patient still functioning in the transitional realm and relating to others (people) as a transitional object, hence, still employing transitional objects, only in a disguised form.

Keywords

Borderline Personality, Transitional Phenomenon, Adulthood.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Adler, G. (1989). Transitional phenomena, projective identification, and the essential ambiguity of the psychoanalytic situation. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 58, 81-104.

  • Arkema, P. H. (1981). The borderline personality and transitional relatedness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 188,172-177.

  • Brown, L.J. (1990). Borderline personality organization and the transition to the depressive position. .Journal of American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 75,505-511.

  • Cardasis, W., Hochman, J. A., & Silk, K. R (1997). Transitional objects and borderline personality disorder. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 154(2), 250-255.

  • Cooper, S.H., & Adler, G. (1990). Toward a clarification of the transitional object and self object concepts in the treatment of the borderline patient. Annual of Psychoanal-ysis, 18,133-152.

  • Cooper, S.H., Perry, C.J., Hoke, L., & Richman, N. (1985). Transitional relatedness and borderline personality disordor. Psychoanalytical Psychology, 2(2), 115-128.

  • Dentsch, H. (1942). Some forms of emotional disturbance and their relationship to schizophrenia. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 77,301-321.

  • Ekstein, R., & Wallerstein, J. (1954). Observations on the psychology of borderline and psychotic children. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 9,344-369.

  • Feinsilver, D.B. (1983). Reality, transitional relatedness, and containment in the borderline. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 19, 537-569.

  • Finch, S. J. (2002). Voice mail as a transitional object in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 47(10), 974-975.

  • Fintzy, R.T. (1971). Vicissitudes of the transitional object in a borderline child. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 52, 107-114.

  • Freud, A. (1967). About losing and being lost. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 22, 919.

  • Green, A. (1978). Potential space in psychoanalysis: The object in the setting. In S. A. Grolnik and L. Barkin (Eds.), Between reality andfantasy (pp. 167-190). Northvale, NI: lason Aronson.

  • Green, A. (1993). The dead mother. Psyche theJoumal of Psychoanalysis, 47(3), 205240.

  • Green, A. (2004). Thirdness and psychoanalytic concepts. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 75(1), 9-135.

  • Greenson, R. R. (1978). Transitional objects and transference. In S. A. Grolnik and L. Barkin (Eds.), Between reality and fantasy (pp. 203-210). Northvale, NI: Lason Aronson.

  • Gunderson, J.G. (1996). The borderline patient's intolerance of aloneness: Insecure attachments and therapist availability. American .Journal of Psychiatry, 755(6), 7528.

  • Hooley, J.M., &Wilson-Murphy,M. (2012). Adult attachment to transitional objects and borderline personality disorder. .Journal of Personality Disorders, 26(2), 179-191.

  • Horton, P.C., Louy, J.W., &Coppolillo,H.P. (1974). Personality disorder and transitional relatedness, Archives of General Psychiatry, 50,618-622.

  • Kavaler-Adler, S. (1993). Object relations issues in the treatment of the preoedipal character. American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 55(1), 19-34.

  • Kemberg, O. F. (1967). Borderline personality organization. Journal of American Psychoanalytic Association, 15,641-685.

  • Kemberg, O. (1976). Object Relations Theory and Clinical Psychoanalysis. Northvale, New York: JasonAronson.

  • Klein, M. (1935). A contribution to the psychogenesis of manic-depressive states. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 16,145-174.

  • Labbate, L.A., & Benedek, D.M. (1996). Bedside stuffed animals and borderline personality. Psychological Reports, 79(2), 624-626.

  • Lenzenweger, M.F., Clarkin, J.F., Yeomans, F.E., Kemberg, O.F., & Levy, K.N. (2008). Refining the borderline personality disorder phenotype through finite mixture modeling: Implications for classification. Journal of Personality Disorders, 22, 313-331.

  • Lidz, T., Masterson, J., Spotnitz, H., Volkan, V., Borowitz, E., & Calmas, W.E. (197778). Emotional communication and counter transference in the narcissistic and borderline disorders: Asymposium. Modern Psychoanalysis, 2(2), 149-179.

  • Mahler, M.S. (1971). A study of the separation-individuation process and its possible application to borderline phenomena in the psychoanalytic situation. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 26,403-424.

  • Modell, A.H. (1963). Primitive object relationships and the predisposition to schizophrenia. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 44,282-292.

  • Morris, H., Gunderson, J. G., & Zanarini, M. C. (1986). Transitional object use and horderhnepsychopathology. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143,1534-1538.

  • Ogden, T. H. (1990). On potential space. In D. Goldman (Ed.), In one's bones: The clinical genius of Winnicott (pp. 241-256). Northvale, NJ: JasonAronson.

  • Ogden, T. H. (1994). Subjects of analysis. Northvale, NJ: JasonAronson.

  • Pine, F. (1974). On the concept "borderline" in children a clinical essay. Psychoanalytic Study ofthe Child, 29,341-368.

  • Stem, A. (1938). Psychoanalytic Investigation of and therapy in the border line group of neurooses. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 7,467-489.

  • Target, M., & Fonagy, P. (1996). Playing with reality: II the development of psychic reality from a theoretical perspective. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 77, 459-479.

  • Weil, A. P. (1953). Certain severe disturbances of ego development in childhood. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 5,271-287.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (1945). Primitive emotional development. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis,26, 137-143.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (1953). Transitional objects and transitional phenomena a study of the Erstnot-me-possession. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 34, 89-97.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (1956). Primary maternal preoccupation. In Through Paediatrics to Psycho-Analysis. International Psycho-Analytical Library. 100, 1-325. London: The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (I960). The theory of the parent-infant relationship. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 41,585-595.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (I960). Ego distortions in terms of true and false self. In the maturational processes and the facilitating environment. International Psycho Analytic Library, 64, 1-276. London: The Hogarth Press and the Institute ofPsycho- Analysis.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (1969). The use of an object. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 50,711-716.

  • Winnicott, D.W. (191V). Playing and Reality. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books.


Abstract Views: 326

PDF Views: 0




  • Borderline Personality and the Transitional Realm

Abstract Views: 326  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Abhijatya Dhar
Department of Clinical Psychology, M.Se. Theoretieal Psychoanalytic Studies, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract


There is an established clinical co-relation between the use of transitional objects in adulthood and borderline personality disorder which is rarely found in any other personality disorder. The transitional phenomenon as described by Winnicott has a specific place in an infant's life, bringing about the successful and smooth acknowledgment and acceptance of the reality principle. Winnicotfs work on transitional phenomenon and objects still remains pertinent in understanding the mind of the borderline personality. One of the current models of borderline, the Mentalization Model proposes two psychic modes of functioning for the borderline patient, namely, the “psychic equivalence” mode and the “pretend mode”. The description of these two modes seems reminiscent of the state of mind of an infant in the transitional phase, i.e., where reality and fantasy are not clearly delineated or distinguished and remain fused with each other. This paper explores the possibility of the adult borderline patient still functioning in the transitional realm and relating to others (people) as a transitional object, hence, still employing transitional objects, only in a disguised form.

Keywords


Borderline Personality, Transitional Phenomenon, Adulthood.

References