Citation:
Galanaki, E. (2021). The origins of beneficial solitude: Psychoanalytic perspectives. In In Coplan, R. J., Bowker, J. C., & Nelson, L. J. (Eds.). The handbook of solitude: Psychological perspectives on social isolation, social withdrawal, and being alone (2nd ed., pp. 58-74). New York: Wiley-Blackwell.
Abstract:
In this chapter several psychoanalytic views on the origins of beneficial solitude, its developmental course during the first years of life, and its implications for later development are discussed, evaluated, and organized around three dimensions: the solitary self, the ability to be alone, and the necessity of being alone, as well as the companionable nature of solitude. These views belong to different psychoanalytic models, such as the Freudian drive/structure and the object relations model. Conclusions are drawn and future directions are described, concerning the paradox of solitude, which is argued to be evident from the beginning of life.