Biomaterial Database

Shame in psychoanalysis: the function of unconscious fantasies. 1991

A M Rizzuto

The conceptualization of shame as an emergent affect in the clinical situation gains clarity by linking it to unconscious fantasies. The author suggests that shame appears when an individual fails in his efforts to obtain from another person, in reality or in imagined scenes, an expected similar affect or a complementary message, or both. A self-evaluation emerges of being undeserving of the desired response. In this respect shame is related to the narcissistic component of any experience or fantasy, be it pre-oedipal, oedipal, or post-oedipal. In cases where there is a pathological predisposition to shame, the predisposition is linked to unconscious fantasies portraying the individual as the desiring and frustrated subject of an unresponded to affective message. After its formation the unconscious fantasy itself, and all its unrepressed derivatives, become a source of shame. A clinical example illustrates these points.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007398	Interpersonal Relations	The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons.	Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D008297	Male		Males
D009034	Mother-Child Relations	Interaction between a mother and child.	Mother-Child Interaction,Mother-Child Relationship,Mother-Infant Interaction,Mother-Infant Relations,Interaction, Mother-Child,Interaction, Mother-Infant,Interactions, Mother-Child,Interactions, Mother-Infant,Mother Child Interaction,Mother Child Relations,Mother Child Relationship,Mother Infant Interaction,Mother Infant Relations,Mother-Child Interactions,Mother-Child Relation,Mother-Child Relationships,Mother-Infant Interactions,Mother-Infant Relation,Relation, Mother-Child,Relation, Mother-Infant,Relations, Mother-Child,Relations, Mother-Infant,Relationship, Mother-Child,Relationships, Mother-Child
D009813	Oedipus Complex	Attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex.	Complex, Oedipus
D011574	Psychoanalytic Theory	Conceptual system developed by Freud and his followers in which unconscious motivations are considered to shape normal and abnormal personality development and behavior.	Oral Character,Psychoanalytical Theory,Theory, Psychoanalytic,Character, Oral,Characters, Oral,Oral Characters,Psychoanalytic Theories,Psychoanalytical Theories,Theories, Psychoanalytic,Theories, Psychoanalytical,Theory, Psychoanalytical
D011575	Psychoanalytic Therapy	A form of psychiatric treatment, based on Freudian principles, which seeks to eliminate or diminish the undesirable effects of unconscious conflicts by making the patient aware of their existence, origin, and inappropriate expression in current emotions and behavior.	Balint Psychoanalytic Therapy,Psychoanalytic Therapy, Balint,Psychoanalytical Therapy,Therapy, Balint Psychoanalytic,Therapy, Psychoanalytic,Psychoanalytic Therapies,Psychoanalytical Therapies,Therapies, Psychoanalytic,Therapies, Psychoanalytical,Therapy, Psychoanalytical
D011606	Psychosexual Development	The stages of development of the psychological aspects of sexuality from birth to adulthood; i.e., oral, anal, genital, and latent periods.	Anal Stage,Phallic Stage,Anal Stages,Development, Psychosexual,Developments, Psychosexual,Phallic Stages,Psychosexual Developments,Stage, Anal,Stage, Phallic,Stages, Anal,Stages, Phallic
D005201	Fantasy	An imagined sequence of events or mental images, e.g., daydreams.	Day Dreams,Daydreams,Day Dream,Daydream,Dream, Day,Dreams, Day,Fantasies
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults