Adoptee and borderline splitting: different etiology, different treatment approach
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Aiken, Barbara A.
Issue Date
1988
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Adoptees--Psychology
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study explored splitting by adoptees, as differentiated from intrapsychic splitting by those suffering from borderline pathology. Since adoptees splitting was well documented in the literature, but was not defined in the literature, and since adoptee splitting was not associated with borderline pathology, as is intrapsychic splitting, therapists who work with adoptees were interviewed to determine the type of splitting adoptees manifest, its etiology, and treatment.
The study suggests: Adoptee and borderline splitting is different, as adoptees split contextually, while borderlines split intrapsychicallv adoptee splitting is not related to a developmental -failure, as is borderline splitting; intrapsychic splitting leads to borderline pathology, contextual splitting leads to the creation of an oedipal, false self, treatment techniques used when working with adoptee splitting, and -false self, are differentiated from treatment techni ues used when working with intrapsychic 0 splitting and borderline pathology.