Retreat as a pathologic organization

摘要

The author describes some forms of mental retreat, from the harmless to the most dangerous, which tend to seriously distort the perception of mental reality. In his opinion, mental retreat represents a psychological organization that accompanies the individual throughout existence as a constant source of pathology. The retreat is not only a place where one can be protected from fear, but above all is a breeding ground that brings forth alienated, alternative realities to the real world. It corresponds to the creation of a sensory and imaginative reality, which deprives the emotional and psychological development of nutrition because it closes channels in which experiences take place that promote growth. In particular, the retreat weakens and deteriorates the personal sense of identity to different degrees, whether it is a pleasant phantasy that is manifested in neurotic forms unless it is reflected in extreme forms as in the psychotic state of a dissociated world.