Psychoanalytic Study on Psychological Features of Young Men «Millionaires» in Modern Provincial Ukraine

Abstract

The article is based on three cases of private psychoanalytic work with successful businessmen from central and northern parts of Ukraine. The research methodology was psychoanalytic theories devoted to the unconscious meanings of money and the role of money in the psychoanalytic setting, including object theory, drive theory, psychosexual development theory, narcissism theory, Oedipus complex, transference and resistance. What presents the interest of this study are the cases when those who grew up in poverty finally obtains such a desired object — money, wealth, however, something unconscious hinders this person to get satisfied by it and even to admit obtaining it. The presented clinical work was conducted as classic psychoanalysis in person with different duration: 5, 10 and 46 months. Men were asked to tell whatever comes to mind: thoughts, memories, dreams, phantasies, feelings etc. The role of psychoanalyst was to hear specific connections between patient’s stories and to analyze them together with the patient. The cases presented highlight several psychological features of young men «millionaires» who suffer from their own success. 1. Sensitivity to Father’s (real or symbolic) acceptance of their business and financial success. 2. Activation of unconscious Oedipus complex and Complex of castration because of the risk to dethrone the Father in reality, with experiences of guilt, fear and expectation of punishment. 3. Projection of their own envy, hate, wish to avenge and killing phantasies into external objects (friends, partners, psychoanalyst) with building individual defensive strategies from them. These psychological features were associated not only with suffering and psychopathological symptoms but also with impossibility to continue business development. In addition, the cases analyzed in the article show some difficulties in building business connected with the generations gap. Fathers from the USSR or the 90s teach their sons to act in the way that is not relevant for successful careers nowadays. This latent or manifested struggle between generations may be an important factor in abovementioned psychological features.