BODY SELF-IMAGE AND ITS BOUNDARIES OF PATIENTS WITH ATYPICAL DERMATITIS. PART 2

Abstract

This article presents the program and the results of clinical psychological study of patients with skin diseases, performed in line with psychodynamical approach in psychosomatic medicine. In a comparative study of patients with psychosomatic and classic versions of these diseases (for example, patients with neurodermatitis and psoriasis, respectively), research was made on manifestations of “barrier” or “permeability” of the body self-image boundaries, driving them to retreating and defending against external influences. The results of projective techniques in the study found that patients with neurodermatitis have unformed and instable boundaries of their body self-image as well as more dysfunctional nature of their emotional self-awareness in the family. The results show reduction in intensity of the psychological defense with the dominance of defense mechanism of denial, the effect of which is aimed at reducing the impact of stressful cosmetic defect by limiting communication, passivity and aloofness. In addition, the declining scale of “destructive inner self-delimitation” in ISTA methods also confirms the dysfunction (decrease) of “permeability” of the body self-image boundary in the neurodermatitis research group. In general, insufficiency of self-image boundaries of neurodermatitis patients is considered as a consequence of basic underdevelopment of their personality structures inhibiting the formation of other intrapsychic structures.