Reality testing is a concept within Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory that expresses the ego's ability to distinguish between internal
reality and external reality. In other
words, reality testing is the ability to distinguish between what a situation or event actually is and what it involves, and what the person
hopes for or fears or wants to happen.
In ego psychology, the primary achievement of development is It is to integrate the parts of the self, including the id and superego, and to create a harmonious ego and personality. In this
process, reality testing plays an important role. In reality testing, the ego learns to separate
itself from the external world and external realities by distinguishing between what is happening internally from itself and
what is happening in the external world.
Internal reality is often quite different from external reality. For example, a person may believe that his boss hates him for not returning his
morning greeting, or he may fear that he
hates him; In reality, her boss is actually very busy at the moment and is therefore very distracted, or he simply didn't hear her. The ability to reality test
enables the ego to distinguish between its own fears, anxieties, beliefs, or hopes and what is happening
in the current world. Freud proposed that weaknesses in reality testing and the ego's inability to separate itself from external realities lead to hallucinations, delusions, and other distortions in the perception of reality. He also underlined that when the ego is under serious
stress, the difference between internal reality and external reality gradually decreases for it, and he said that this overlap leads the person to exhibit constant delusions and maladaptive behaviors
.
The ability to distinguish between reality and the fiction of one's own thoughts and feelings is an important dimension of an individual's development. Errors in thoughts can affect a person's behavior
and cause him/her to experience anxiety. Reality testing focuses on identifying common errors in one's
thoughts and correcting them. These mistakes:
– Overgeneralize or, in a sense, assuming that negative events will bring other negative events with them.
– Thinking in an all-or-nothing way, thinking that something is completely good or completely bad.
> – Comparing, constantly underestimating one's own achievements and successes by comparing them with those of others.
– Blame, attributing one's failures or inability to do something to another. Another form of wrong
thinking is to blame oneself for something for which one is not
responsible, or to accept the accusation made against oneself.
To be exemplified in a few different ways:
– Ayşe just now. I said good morning to him in the hallway, but he didn't answer me. He/she must be angry with me because of something I did, he/she may even be upset with me.
What actually happened is; Many different explanations can be given for this. He hasn't seen you, he's distracted
or he's upset about something that day.
– I failed the first exam of the year. This shows me that if I started the year like this
it means that I will definitely fail my remaining exams.
What actually happened is; Failing at something is quite normal and a part of life. Having something happen once is not the same as having it repeat again and again. Likewise, just because something
happened once does not mean that it will never change/change
in the future.
– Yağmur was hit by a car on the street while walking home and is dying. He encounters a kitten who is. He takes him to a veterinarian and gets him treated
. However, he thinks that there are many cats who have experienced this and will experience this and that he cannot help them, and he begins to blame himself and feel bad.
What actually happens is; Unfortunately, city life is not entirely suitable for animals, likewise
a city is also a great place for one person to find radical solutions to a problem experienced there
on his own. Yağmur has done his best, and that's basically enough.
Why is Reality Testing Important?
Every person has various thoughts, guesses or assumptions; These can sometimes oppress the person
It can even take him under control or cause him to exaggerate some things. It is not difficult for anyone
to predict the worst case scenario. In times when emotions, anxieties and fears are experienced at high levels and extremes; It is almost inevitable to start thinking
by focusing on the negativities. Considered from these perspectives; I will try to list why reality testing is important
in a few items:
– It provides a solid ground for the person to stand on when making comparisons and comparisons.
– It enables situations and events to be judged accurately.
br /> – It enables the distinction between what is real and what is not real to be made clearly.
– While distinguishing between a person's emotions, inner world and external reality; On the one hand
it enables the individual to gain insight and become aware of what is happening within himself/herself.
– It allows the person to develop reactions to certain situations and events.
How is Reality Testing Done?
The ability to test reality can be learned. is something, it is completely possible to gain a new
understanding of thoughts and feelings in this way.
Being objective, changing the perspective
– Looking at the current situation or event from as many different angles as possible
– Giving yourself time to evaluate the situation and make a judgment, not rushing
and/or pressuring yourself to make quick decisions.
– Every person has their own thoughts and feelings and these can change depending on the
situation, Never forget that it is always possible for anyone to perceive or handle the current situation
incorrectly
First think, then act
– Deciding how to react emotionally to the situation p>
– Thinking about how suitable the current situation or event is for involving emotions
– Paying attention to recurring themes and patterns in life, and thinking about them in order to balance them and make them functional.
Looking at yourself from the outside, looking at how you look from the outside
– If an event is happening, and you are not sure which emotion is appropriate for it,
a reliable point of view. Asking the kadasha for his/her opinion
– Before starting to think about the result, stop and think about the possible results
and their meaning
– Remembering that you do not have to take action right then and there, and sometimes silence and
inaction can also be
What Does Poor Reality Testing Cause? It starts to become too much for the person.
– The person becomes more inclined to blame others, without realizing it
for his own mistakes or things that are his responsibility.
– One becomes dependent on the opinions of others, and it becomes easier to be manipulated or even deceived
/> for person. In layman's terms, people with poor reality testing skills become "easy prey" when it comes to being manipulated,
"used".
Benefits of Paying Attention to Behaviors and Thinking About them
– A deeper understanding of their own inner world and their own inner reality. awareness and insight
are provided, thus it becomes easier for the person to access real thoughts and the reality of the self.
– Thinking/working on current situations; It can also be applied to similar things that will happen in the future.
– The person will be able to make more accurate
decisions about situations that create stress, discomfort, anxiety and fears.
– The person will gain a broader perspective. He learns to look with attention, which makes him avoid being in helpless, unresolvable situations.
– If attention is paid to what is focused on, when necessary, it is possible to dwell on it again and
think; It is also possible to produce more complex and robust solutions.
Reality Testing in Psychotherapy
In therapy, reality testing is a functional concept to help individuals who experience anxiety due to concerns about their own lives
. People often try to avoid taking
negative consequences of a situation into account; They even tend to deny it,
sometimes a person, on the contrary, only dwells on the possible negative consequences. However, focusing on all
possible outcomes and their possible effects means that the person can handle the situation or event in a way that he/she can handle it. helps to address it in the province; This includes taking into account that something may not be as bad as it seems and makes it easier to decide how to deal with any
consequences that may arise. Such an approach also gives
insight to the individual; As a result, for many people, being able to accept even the worst thing that could happen makes it possible to accept the fears experienced about it before it happens.
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