Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviours: Eclipse of the Life Instinct PDF
Preview Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviours: Eclipse of the Life Instinct
Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviors Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviors explores the primary motivational system in human beings. Based on the work of C. G. Jung, James Hillman, Louis Stewart and Silvan Tomkins, Charles Stewart investigates the psychology of the innate affects, with a focus towards the emotional motivation of adolescents and young adults who have killed others, themselves, or both. It is suggested that social isolation, dissociation of the personality, unbear- able emotions, and possession by affects are necessary conditions for both homicide and suicide. Stewart argues that these conditions result from deep- seated emotional psychopathology which involves both the positive affects of the life instinct – Interest and Joy, and the crisis affects – Fear, Anguish, Anger, and Shame/Contempt. Illustrated throughout with case studies of individuals who have commit- ted homicide, suicide, or both, Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviors aims to discover the emotional motivations for such behaviors so that through educa- tion and psychological treatment, such tragic outcomes can be prevented. This book will be of interest to professionals and students in the fields of mental health and criminal justice. Charles T. Stewart is a Child Psychiatrist in private practice in Berkeley, California. He has spent 25 years working in community mental health where he directed programs, treated patients, and taught psychotherapy to trainees. Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviors Eclipse of the life instinct Charles T. Stewart First published 2008 by Routledge 27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Copyright © 2008 Charles T. Stewart All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. This publication has been produced with paper manufactured to strict environmental standards and with pulp derived from sustainable forests. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stewart, Charles T. Dire emotions and lethal behaviors : eclipse of the life instinct / Charles T. Stewart. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-415-40877-6 (hardback) ISBN-10: 0-415-40877-6 (hardback) ISBN-13: 978-0-415-40878-3 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 0-415-40878-4 (pbk.) 1. Emotions in adolescence. 2. Suicide – Psychology. 3. Teenagers – Suicidal behavior. I. Title. [DNLM: 1. Suicide – psychology. 2. Adolescent. 3. Adult. 4. Affect. 5. Homicide – psychology. WM 165 S849d 2007] BF724.3.E5S7448 2007 155.5′124 – dc22 2007004420 ISBN 0-203-94587-5 Master e-book ISBN ISBN: 978-0-415-40877-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-40878-3 (pbk) To Louis H. Stewart Contents List of tables and plates ix Foreword by John Beebe x Preface xii Acknowledgements xiii Author’s note xv Introduction 1 1 How the innate affects work 24 2 Optimal vs. violent expression of affect: a new way to understand the emergence of each of these outcomes 37 3 Death and rebirth of the life instinct 70 4 Vivienne Loomis: suicide 91 5 Kipland Kinkel: killing of parents and others 111 6 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold: multiple homicides followed by suicides 125 7 Sinedu Tadesse: homicide followed by suicide 153 8 Gloria: panic leading to homicide Peter: fury leading to killing of mother and sisters 173 9 Little Father Time: homicides followed by suicide 182 viii Contents 10 Lethal conditions and psychological treatment 187 11 Epilogue 220 Bibliography 231 Index 241 Tables and plates Tables I.1 Constellation of the archetypal affects 9 2.1 Continuum of necessary conditions 40 2.2 Crisis affects, ego functions, and cultural attitudes 46 2.3 Emotional dialogues with others framed by Interest and Joy vs. social isolation 67 2.4 Emotional dialogues with one’s self framed by Interest and Joy vs. dissociation of the personality 67 2.5 Normal suffering vs. unbearable affect 67 2.6 Consciousness of affect vs. possession by affect 68 3.1 Tapestry of symbols 82 Plates Plate E.1 Mirth 224 Plate E.2 The Great Sun 227 Plate E.3 The Lark 229
The list of books you might like
