Report on the relationship among insomnia, Adaptive Balance and Alpha Function

REPORT ON THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG INSOMNIA, ADAPTIVE BALANCE AND ALPHA FUNCTION (ABSTRACT)^*. THESIS. SÃO PAULO, 2001.

SUELI REGINA GOTTOCHILICH ROSSINI^**

Patients suffering from chronic insomnia had their adaptive efficiency evaluated by R. Simon's Operationalised Adaptive Diagnostic Scale (EDAO). Major sleep disorders and their effects on patients' quality of life were surveyed by Giglio's Sleep Questionnaire. The dynamics of mind functioning of chronic insomniacs ¾ unrelated to any other organic condition ¾ was assessed by the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), obeying W.R. Bion's theoretical presupposition on Alpha Function Theory.

Results made know that:1) chronic insomnia is associated to serious damage to adaptive efficiency, with Severe Inefficient Adaptation prevailing in most patients; 2) chronic insomnia associated to organic conditions is related to diagnoses of more serious adaptive imperilment.

Patients present difficulties in all three stages of sleeping, the highest intensity resting on conducing initial sleep; besides day-sleepiness other consequences of insomnia ensue and resorting to medicines is common practice. With regard to mind functioning, chronic insomniacs reveal low tolerance to frustration and psychic pain, intolerance to doubt and novelty, which takes them to a mental condition of imperilment of Alpha Function and, consequently, to the impossibility of falling asleep and waking up. In cases of better adaptive configuration, patients in the control-group displayed adequate functioning of Alpha Function, meanwhile in cases of higher imperilment Alpha Function suffers and parasitic relationships prevail, with deepening of projective identification, the same applying to groups of insomniacs in general. The damage of Alpha Function is not restricted to the condition of insomnia, occurring with patients of the control-group as well.

What determines the possibility of sleeping or keeping awake are the instinctive forces. With insomniacs life instinct drives them to go on seeking a solution a new configuration through insomnia; while patients who managed to sleep seem to have given up trying, resigning to the inevitable and seemingly intensifying the death instinct.

KEY WORDS: sleep disorders, insomnia, Operational Adaptive Diagnostic Scale (EDAO), psychological evaluation, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), questionnaire.

** Address: Rua Rui Barbosa 333 / 101A, 099190-370 Santo André SP, Brasil. E-mail:[e-mail]

*

Estudo da relação entre insônia, equilíbrio adaptativo e Função Alfa. Tese de Doutorado, Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de São Paulo (Área: Psicologia Clínica). Orientador: Ryad Simon.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  11 Apr 2002
• Date of issue
  Mar 2002