Pathological Deviant Behavior

In the case of fetishism, pathological stealing, or other deviant behaviors, disorder-specific psychodrama therapy initially resolves the confusion of metacognitive processes at the level of symptom production. For this purpose, the metacognitive processes are represented with chairs as ego-states, spatially separated from each other in the therapy room. The patient’s self-development with the help of psychodrama techniques at the level of symptom production dissolves his blockages through defense. As a doppelganger, the therapist helps the patient in his attempt to discover his actual longing in the ideal symptom scene of everyday life, to justify this longing, and to integrate it into his life story. Thus, the patient understands himself in a new way. The subsequent attempts at abstinence show that without the self-traumatizing and pathological behavior, the patient spontaneously becomes more courageous and capable to deal with conflict in all areas of life. This theoretical understanding and the resulting psychodramatic action methods complement the disorder-specific approach in depth psychological, behavioral, and systemic psychotherapy.