Phobia and psychosomatic symptom: two artifices for a lifestyle

Abstract

The contribution explores in depth the Individual-Psychological view regarding phobias and psychosomatic symptoms, which Adler himself conceived of as neurotic compensation directed towards unconscious plans. Along the lines traced by Adler, numerous contributions from psychodynamic authors suggest that there are structural similarities between different disorders, such as panic attacks and agoraphobia, and that biological and psychological factors may interact in the genesis of symptoms. Consistent with the Adlerian approach, the relational matrix of both phobias and psychosomatic symptoms is emphasised, which cannot therefore be considered in isolation. The author proposes as useful food for thought a rich case history in which the interview is usefully integrated with the Rorschach test, hypothesising that at the basis of phobic and psychosomatic symptoms there are defects in the maturation of the personality, with problems related to identity and self-perception, influenced by experiences of insecurity and separation.