A psychoanalytic concept illustrated: will, must, may, can—revisiting the survival function of primitive omnipotence

References

• Abraham , K. 1924 . A short study of the development of the libido viewed in the light of mental disorders . In Selected Papers of Karl Abraham (pp. 418 – 501 ). London : Hogarth Press (1927) .
   Google Scholar
• Alvarez , A. 1992 . Live company , London and New York : Routledge .
   Google Scholar
• Bick , E. 1968 . The experience of the skin in early object relations . International Journal of Psycho-Analysis , 49 : 484 – 486 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bick , E. 1986 . Further contributions on the function of the skin in early object relations . British Journal of Psychotherapy , 2 ( 4 ) : 292 – 299 .
   Google Scholar
• Bion , W.R. 1962 . Learning from experience , London : Karnac .
   Google Scholar
• Bion , W.R. 1965 . Transformations , London : Heimann .
   Google Scholar
• Boston , M. & Szur , R 1983 . Psychotherapy with severely deprived children . London : Routledge and Keegan Paul .
   Google Scholar
• Cohen , D.W. 2007 . Freud's baby: Beyond autoerotism and narcissism . International Journal of Psycho-Analysis , 88 : 883 – 893 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Edwards , J. 2000 . On being dropped and picked up: Adopted children and their internal objects . Journal of Child Psychotherapy , 26 ( 3 ) : 349 – 367 .
   Google Scholar
• Edwards , J. 2005 . Before the threshold: Destruction, reparation and creativity in relation to the depressive position . Journal of Child Psychotherapy , 31 ( 3 ) : 317 – 334 .
   Google Scholar
• Edwards , J. 2008 . Early splitting and projective identification . Journal of Infant Observation , 11 ( 1 ) : 57 – 65 .
   Google Scholar
• Emanuel , R. 1984 . Primary disappointment . Journal of Child Psychotherapy , 10 : 71 – 87 .
   Google Scholar
• Emanuel , R. 1996 . Children traumatized in infancy . Journal of Child Psychotherapy , 22 ( 2 ) : 214 – 239 .
   Google Scholar
• Ferenczi , S. 1913 . Stages in the development of a sense of reality . In First contributions to psychoanalysis . London: Hogarth Press (1952) . Reprinted London : Karnac Press (1994) , pp. 213 – 239 .
   Google Scholar
• Fraiberg , S.H. , Adelson , E. and Shapiro , V. 1975 . Ghosts in the nursery: A psycho-analytic approach to the problems of impaired infant-mother relationships . Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychology , 14 : 387 – 422 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Freud , S. 1911 . Formulation on the two principles of mental functioning , S.E. 12 , (pp. 213 – 226 ).
   Google Scholar
• Freud , S. 1915 . Instincts and their vicissitudes . S.E. 14 , (pp. 111 – 140 ).
   Google Scholar
• Freud , S. 1917 . Mourning and melancholia . S.E. 14 , (pp. 243 – 258 ).
   Google Scholar
• Freud , S. 1920 . Beyond the pleasure principle . S.E. 18 , (pp. 1 – 64 ).
   Google Scholar
• Grosskurth , P. 1986 . Melanie Klein . New Jersey : Jason Aronson .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1921 . The development of a child . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 1 – 53 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1927 . Criminal tendencies in normal children . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein ( Vol. 1 ) (pp. 170 – 185 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1929 . Personification in the play of children . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 199 – 209 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1930 . The importance of symbol formation in the development of the ego . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 219 – 232 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1935 . A contribution to the psychogenesis of manic depressive states . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 262 – 289 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975). 60 A. Fitzgerald
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1936 . Weaning . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 290 – 305 ). London : Hogarth Press 1975 .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1937 . Love guilt and reparation . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 306 – 343 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975).
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1940 . Mourning and its relation to manic-depressive states . In Love guilt and reparation and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 1 ) (pp. 344 – 369 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1946 . Notes on some schizoid mechanisms . In Envy and gratitude and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 2 ) (pp. 1 – 24 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1952a . Some theoretical conclusions regarding the emotional life of the infant . In Envy and gratitude and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 2 ) (pp. 61 – 93 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1952b . On observing the behaviour of young infants . In Envy and gratitude and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 2 ) (pp. 94 – 121 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1957 . Envy and gratitude . In Envy and gratitude and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 2 ) (pp. 176 – 235 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Klein , M. 1958 . On the development of mental functioning . In Envy and gratitude and other works. The writings of Melanie Klein (Vol. 2 ) (pp. 236 – 246 ). London : Hogarth Press (1975) .
   Google Scholar
• Likierman , M. 2001 . Melanie Klein: Her work in context , London : Continuum .
   Google Scholar
• Mitrani , J.L. 2007 . Some technical implications of Klein's concept of ‘premature ego development’ . International Journal of Psycho-Analysis , 88 : 825 – 842 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rhode , M. 2004 . Infant observation as research: Cross-disciplinary links . Journal of Social Work Practice , 18 ( 3 ) : 283 – 298 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rustin , M. 1999 . Multiple families in mind . Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry , 4 : 51 – 62 .
   Google Scholar
• Segal , H. 1957 . Notes on symbol formation . International Journal of Psycho-Analysis , 38 : 391 – 397 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Symington , J. 1985 . The survival function of primitive omnipotence . International Journal of Psycho-Analysis , 66 : 481 – 487 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Trowell , J. 1999 . Assessments and court work: The place of observation . International Journal of Infant Observation , 2 ( 2 ) : 91 – 101 .
   Google Scholar
• Winnicott , D.W. 1960 . The theory of the parent-infant relationship . In The maturational process and the facilitating environment (pp. 37 – 55 ). London : Hogarth Press (1965) .
   Google Scholar
• Youell , B. 2002 . The relevance of infant and young child observation in multidisciplinary assessments for the family courts . In A. Briggs Surviving space: Papers on Infant Observation (pp. 117 – 134 ). London : Karnac .
   Google Scholar