Body dysmorphic disorder : a psychoanalytic perspective
Authors
Butler-Rees, Elsa
Issue Date
2011
Degree
Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychoanalytic Studies
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
With a close examination of the formation of the body image in psychoanalytic theory, I hope to gain insight into how the image in the mirror comes to be distorted in body dysmorphic disorder and to propose some suggestions on what may have caused this distortion. With this aim, I will be exploring unconscious processes as the reason for distortion; Freud’s symptoms and Lacan’s Sinthome; the Mirror stage as formative of body image and the role of the Other in body image formation. Author keywords: Body image, distortion, mirror, ego, ideal-ego, super-ego