Dysphoria

Generalising from some previous analyses of addiction, and introducing the concept of an action system which governs all actions which are focussed on what Brown (1988) calls "hedonic management," we argue that addictions of every kind involve an action system that displays high salience, low variety and low vicariance. Addictions also involve what Apter (1982) calls the "paratelic state." A study was carried out comparing 31 drug addicts with 29 control subjects in terms of action system variables. To measure these variables, we constructed a new instrument, the Activity-System Drawing Test, and also used the Telic Dominance Scale to measure frequency of paratelic states. Dysphoria was measured by means of the BATE (anxiety), IDA-13 (depression), SEI (self-esteem), and TAS-20 (alexithymia) instruments. Strongly significant differences were found between groups for both action system variables and dysphoria, and there were also strong correlations between both groups of variables. This supports the idea that addictions emerge from systemic properties of the action system.

In this theoretical article, a hedonic management model is presented which has particular application to addiction. The purpose, however, is to go beyond partial models, adopting Goodman’s view that there is a basic underlying process for all addictions. In phylogenetic terms, hedonic management is related to Zuckerman’s conception of sensation-seeking which takes its origin from exploratory drives. Studies of sensory deprivation show that the need for sensation is fundamental, although it can be expressed cognitively and behaviorally in a number of ways (Apter). Hedonic management (Brown) represents a set of activities which people carry out to maintain an acceptable level of hedonic tonality. So there is a continuity from sensation seeking to hedonic management to addictions – which represent an extreme kind of hedonic management. The concept of everyday life addiction is illustrated in a brief review of the literature on the addiction of video-games, and is then presented as a model of activities intended to control the effects of minor sensory deprivation in the course of everyday life. Dysphoric feelings are empirically related to seven sources of stimulation, and a five category classification is proposed. The concept of addictivity is then explained as a re-organisation of activities. Finally, a three-part programme of research is proposed: (1) the synchronic and (2) diachronic genesis and development, and (3) the ecology of, hedonic management. This model offers the opportunity for pursuing an integrated programme of research on addictions based on some general and fundamental ideas.

Dall’unione tra il prefisso “cyber” e la parola inglese “dysphoria”, nasce “Cyphoria”. Trovo questo lemma in The Age of Earthquakes. A guide to the Extreme Present, un libro curato a sei mani da Shumon Basar, Douglas Coupland e Hans Ulrich Obrist. Il libro esordisce con un’affermazione molto forte e chiara: “In questi ultimi anni, non abbiamo cambiato solo la struttura dei nostri cervelli. Abbiamo cambiato la struttura del nostro Pianeta. Benvenuti ne… l’Età dei Terremoti”2. In copertina, il volume riporta una mappa deformata della terra, in cui i continenti si sono riaggregati in una nuova Pangea. A testa in giù, l’Italia è ancora riconoscibile, ma non sembra destinata a esserlo ancora a lungo.
Cyphoria fa parte di una serie di lemmi distribuiti lungo tutto il libro, neologismi con cui gli autori cercano di spiegare questo estremo presente. La definiscono così: “Cyphoria è la convinzione che Internet sia il mondo reale”.

Domenico Quaranta, “Cyphoria”, pp. 195 - 218. In VVAA, 16a Quadriennale d’arte Altri tempi, altri miti, exhibition catalogue, Nero Editions, Roma 2016.

Epidemiological studies report that people with mental health disorders have greater problems with their substance use (illicit, and/or prescribed) than the general population (Hall, Teeson, Lynskey, & Degenhardt, 2000). Etiological studies regarding comorbid substance use and mental health disorders give support to the 'alleviation of dysphoria' risk factor model (Mueser, Drake, & Wallach, 1998) since it has stronger supporting evidence than the 'self medication' model (Khantzian 1985; 1997). However, little comorbidity research has considered the eliciting of euphoria, a common factor for illicit substance use (Teeson & Proudfoot, 2003). This study explored the experiences and perceptions of dysphoria and euphoria conveyed by participants using illicit substances (cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants, and/or heroin), as well as prescription medication for their diagnosed comorbid mental health disorders (adult AD/HD, Schizophrenic Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and/or Mood/Affective Disorders). Data collection (via self-reports, interviews and weekly observations) aimed to find qualitative themes pertaining to three focal points: first, experiences of dysphoria and its alleviation via substance use; second, experiences of euphoria and its elicitation via substance use; third, experiences of both euphoria and dysphoria as either a homogenous 'continuum', or heterogenous risk factors requiring separate consideration. The findings supported the proposition that eliciting euphoria and alleviating dysphoria worked in a homogeneous etiological risk factor model, in connection with problems attributed to dependency and withdrawals (or ‘comedowns’).

We present a rare, atypical case of a 24-year-old transgender male (assigned as a female at birth) admitted to the hospital after the planned self-amputation of his left hand. The patient described his motivation for this self-amputation as coming from deep-rooted and persistent feelings that this hand was not a part of his body. He identified himself as having, according to internet peer group definition, body integrity identity disorder. This condition is now referred to as body integrity dysphoria (BID). This patient was later diagnosed as having gender dysphoria and other conditions, including bipolar disorder and gaming disorder. The follow-up 2 years after self-amputation is presented, during which, despite antipsychotic and antidepressant treatment, the symptoms of BID remained unchanged and the high variability of other psychopathology was observed. This is an unusual case of BID simply because several other comorbidities are presented. Like many other rare clinical situations, this case also presents a particular challenge to our understanding of the dynamics and interrelationships between comorbidities, raising concerns and questions.

This article ultimately suggests one way to address the problem of nonconsensual sex, assault, and rape on college campuses, but it does so by focusing on a topic that our conversations about nonconsensual sex have often marginalized: harms occasioned by consensual but unwanted sex. I argue that the party who does not physically desire, does not emotionally welcome, and does not take pleasure in sex, has sometimes been harmed by that sex by virtue of its unwelcomeness, and that the harm is serious enough that we need to attend to it. Further, the harms caused by this sex are not simply psychological or emotional; they are political. I label this political harm “consensual sexual dysphoria”– the alienation and profound discomfort within one’s body caused by the sufferance of unwanted, undesired, unpleasurable and unwelcome – albeit consensual – sex that, over time, undermines one’s equality in a social and legal world that presupposes the moral as well as legal sufficiency of consent...

One of the most puzzling aspects of the cross-cultural evaluation and diagnosis of depression for psychologists and psychiatrists seems to be that the concept of depression is expressed linguistically in widely varying ways in different societies. The literature seems to show partic­ular interest in the fact that there are many languages that have no word at all for depression, or in which the concept is expressed in very different ways than in Western society. This paper explores the ways that approaches from linguistic anthropology can be used to assess and understand the concept of clinical depression even when there seem to be no direct language terms available to describe it or its symptoms. This leads to the question of whether "depression" is a human universal physiologically, or whether it is a culture-bound phenomenon.

Depressive disorders may be characterised by hyperattention toward negative information, hypoattention toward positive information, or a combination of both processing biases. In two studies, a dot-probe task was utilised to better ascertain the specific direction and time-course of these biases. In both studies, the dysphoric group showed significantly less attentional allocation toward positive stimuli than the non-dysphoric group. In study two, the dysphoric group also showed greater attentional allocation toward depression-specific stimuli. Importantly, the bias toward depression-specific stimuli, and the bias away from positive stimuli, were uncorrelated with each other. It may be that both biases can act as sufficient, but not necessary, characteristics of dysphoric processing. An additional possibility is that the relative level of each bias type may best characterise dysphoric processing. Each of these possibilities is discussed in turn.

Defense mechanisms are relevant indicators of psychological functioning and vulnerability to psychopathology. Their evaluation can unveil individuals' unconscious strategies for mediating reactions to emotional conflict and external stressors. At the beginning of their journey toward gender reassignment, individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria (GD) may experience conflict and stressful experiences that trigger a wide range of defense mechanisms. Mature defenses may strengthen these individuals as they travel along this important path, while neurotic and immature defenses may exacerbate their body dissatisfaction (BD) and hinder their processing of change. Only a few studies have investigated self-reported defensive functioning in transgender people, finding a higher frequency of maladaptive defense mechanisms relative to controls. The present study was the first to apply an in-depth clinician-rated tool to assess the entire hierarchy of defense mechanisms within a sample of ...

... L'addiction est une « solution » à une souffrance psychique antécédente, mais c'est une fausse solution car elle génère à son tour une souffrance psychique conséquente. ... In JE Hodge, M. McMurran, CR Hollin (Eds.), Addicted to crime ? (pp. 13-65). ...

The essay examines films and video installations that present the figures of suffering bodies and trigger strong dysphoric sensations through empathy: Karaoke (1998) by Donigan Cumming, Last Days (2005) by Gus Van Sant, and Drunk (2000) by Gillian Wearing. In addition to strong pathemic strategies that intensify the reception of the image, these artworks also contain counter-pathemic elements that distance the viewer from pathos. These long, moving, close examinations of pathemic physical states not only project the viewer into a frozen, insistent, and fascinated gaze at the suffering body and place him or her in a mirrored passive position but also offer an opportunity to move from sensation to sentiment, and then to sensitivity toward and experience of various stages of the empathetic response.