## Psychoanalysis for Hackers How do get a better grasp on reality and yourself. by Christoph Lohmann <20h@r-36.net> ## Intro * Will talk about psychoanalysis, what it is. #pause * History, Sigmund Freud #pause * Short summary of its model #pause * Give an example #pause * Learn how to use it for staying sane ## What is Psychoanalysis? * core idea: * Psychoanalysis studies how unconscious motives, conflicts, defenses influence perception. #pause * unconsciousness: * not supernatural -- just mental content you don't directly know you're using (assumptions, impulses, patterns) #pause * conflicts + defences * when needs/impulses collide with rules/values or reality, the mind protects itself -- often automatically #pause * goal * increase self-awareness (give the ego power) and reduce destructive automatic patterns ## History Sigmund Freud * formalized the language of unconscious conflict and defenses * the idea that symptoms can represent compromise formations of inner conflicts was popularized by him * found out we have unconscious influences #pause Further reading: ego psychology, object relations, modern psychodynamic approaches ## The Psychoanalytic Model * It (Body) #pause * Over-Me (Superego) #pause * I (ego) ## It * raw drives, impulses, needs, sex * immediate wants * your body sensations ## Over-Me * internalized rules, standards, judging voice * moral pressure * enforced during growing up by environment and yourself ## I * you * mediator and manager * here we control our thinking process * satisfies the it while navigating constraints with the Over-Me and reality ## The Psychoanalytic Algorithm * the ego (I) keeps you functional #pause * if it (the body) wants something that Over-Me forbids, a conflict appears #pause * various defense mechanisms * ego uses strategries to reduce anxiety and manage conflicts * defence can be short term or distort reality long-term ## Defenses of the I Examples: #pause * rationalisation * "the stool fell because of gravity" -- gravity is the fault instead of you kicking it #pause * projection * "they are the problem" -- parts of you are unacceptable #pause * displacement * anger aimed at a safer target / animal / object #pause * reaction formation * feeling the opposite, loving someone when hating them #pause * repression * childish backdrop "if I don't see it it is not there" ## Example * It: desire for recognition, mastery #pause * Over-Me: "if you're not perfect, you'll be rejected" #pause * I: manages anxiety #pause Outcome: #pause * procrastination, overprepare, rewrite code over and over again #pause * it looks like laziness, but internally it is conflict avoidance #pause Reality distortion: #pause * Feedback is global condemnation. ("You're not perfect.") #pause * uncertainty gets danger, so safety beats trying #pause Psychoanalysis: #pause * this is a conflict, not character #pause * do something small not requiring perfection to reduce anxiety ## How to stay sane using Psychoanalysis #pause When something hits, ask: What does "It" want? How is "Over-Me" stopping me? How can "I" cope? #pause Solving the conflict: Find recurring autopilot reactions, like projection on others, displacing anger, rationalizing. #pause Convert anxiety into a hypothesis: Instead of "this is danger" try "my brain is treating feedback like rejection, why?" #pause Reality-Check: "Is this fear correct?" "Am I exaggerating?" #pause Stabilize Ego: Act in small portions, like submitting a draft for a project, as for a specific review, run a small experiment instead of procrastination. #pause After the event: "What was I trying to protect?" "What did I compromise to keep the peace (between Over-Me and It)?" ## How we Grow up as Mature * "I" gets stronger #pause * tolerate conflict without immediately escaping #pause * represent both desires and rules #pause * negotiate instead of deny #pause "I want this, but I also have limits and I can move anyway." ## The Pure Model * there was a long fight to the blood over purity of the psychoanalytical model ## Extending the Model by Childhood Common Theory: #pause You are born with the "It", the body. #pause First your emotions rule you. #pause When emotions and reactions do not help, you start to form an ego. #pause As soon as the ego (selfishness) hits its borders, the Over-Me forms. (Imagine crying child not getting sweets at supermarket.) #pause After the three basic parts have evolved, it takes decades (or never) to form the resources and defences of the ego/I. #pause Here is where psychoanlysis helps. ## Further Extensions in Modern Times What if just making ego/I is not enough? #pause * Self - the shelve around the I/ego #pause * Our identity, how we identify ourself, what we are. #pause * Making this more defined gives you strength. ## What if we are lied to? * False-Ego #pause * You learned to use a different ego in different situations #pause * Do the egos know about eachother? #pause * What if in therapy only one ego talks to me? #pause * further n:m model is "dissociative disorders" or old "multiple personality disorder" ## How about the Environment? * Systematic Therapy #pause * unconscious things happen in groups too #pause * The Over-Me as a network of time and space where only the future can be changed #pause * Only changing the I/ego like in psychoanalysis does to help if your environment is pathologic ## How about Accidents? Accidents, instant reactions to bad things where there was no consciousness can cause trauma. #pause This requires programming the amygdala, the automatic coping mechanism in our brain for such situations. #pause Refer to specific trauma therapy. ## Psychotherapy for the Masses Treating someone with psychoanalysis requires the mental capabilities to grasp this model. #pause We have many people who do not have these resources. #pause Behavourial Psychotherapy was born. #pause * Example fear: #pause * Slowly get close to what makes you fear. #pause * You will adapt that you can handle the fear. ## Common Misunderstandings in Psychotherapy "We need to find all that happened to you during childhood to treat you!" #pause * No, it is enough to stabilize in the now. Do we have the right to force people to go through all of this again? No. Out of a good reason the brain is hiding stuff. #pause "You need to go to a psychotherapy!" #pause * First try the common sense. See for example systematic therapy above. #pause "Medication is bad!" #pause * No. Experienced doctors know which medication helps certain parts of your brain to be better able to learn, cope with the new models learned during psychotherapy. ## Everyone is Doing Psychotherapy Example: When I give out a prescription as a doctor, I give out not just a pill, it is safety too. #pause Example: When you go out in the morning, smile and tell someone "good morning", you spread stability, safety from psycho instability. #pause Example: Good people on an IRC channel, you can always visit and get nice responses, gives you an anchor in life for goodness that can always be used. ## Questions Any questions? ## Thanks Thanks for listening! Feedback to Christoph Lohmann <20h@r-36.net>