The Case for Bearing Psychic Pain as Social and Clinical Action

Abstract

While humans are hardwired to avoid pain and seek good feelings, it has become imperative to override this proclivity in order to properly address the socio-cultural atrocities which are at the heart of the crumbling of American society. This paper delineates the psychosocial reasons why people avoid psychic pain, the multitude of bastions available which enable, aid and abet this shielding, as well as negative consequences of these systemic dynamics. The case for bearing and holding psychic pain and suffering is made with regard to positive personal consequences and social justice dialectical reverberations. The many ways in which the therapist or analyst hold power and privilege within the dyad is reviewed. Bearing sociocultural pain in the therapist’s own transference and countertransference is reviewed and linked to clinical illustrations. Implications for socio-cultural and therapeutic repair are delineated.

Keywords:

• American society
• feminism
• psychoanalysis
• psychological integration
• normative group privilege
• cultural and racial injustice
• bearing socio-cultural pain and suffering
• sociocultural repair
• power disparity in the therapeutic dyad

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 White supremacy groups include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Aryan Nations, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, White Lives Matter, Proud Boys, to name a few (from the spicenter.org, 2022) Anti-LGBTQ groups include American College of Pediatricians in Gainseville, Florida, All Scripture Baptist Church, The Campus Ministry, USA in Indiana, Family Research Council in Washington DC, and Warriors for Christ in Bristol Tennessee.

2 These collectives include A Voice for Men, Return of Kings and Involuntary Celibates.