THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE STRIVING FOR POWER

Abstract

In this study I refer to “Sofia’s and Marco’s stories”: the first one is a borderline case between neurosis and psychosis, the second one is a case of schizophrenia. The treatment didn’t only lead to an improvement of patient’s conditions, but also to a deeper analysis of the “striving for power” as it exists in Adler’s theory and his Individual Psychology. The “striving for superiority” could have different levels of expressions: the first and the oldest one is more evident with serious problems of psyche as it occurs in psychosis; in the second level, the patient’s perception of reality is not compromised: the patient shows a better integration into adult life. In the physiological level in which striving for superiority espresses itself, the individual displays a complete maturity