MODELS OF COUNTRIES’ ESCAPE FROM DEPENDENCE ON THE FORMER USSR IN COMPARISON WITH THE PSYCHOANALYSIS OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Dependent behaviour is a complex phenomenon that includes both individual psychological mechanisms and social structures. This article examines the models ofdependent behaviour in the countries of the former USSR and their ability, or lack thereof, to achieve autonomy. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of condemnation as a factor that shapes dependent behaviour, which is an expression of the superego in Freud’s psychoanalytic model (Freud, 1923). In societies where the condemnation mechanism plays a dominant role, dependency is intensified because people are forced to adhere to collective norms without having the opportunity to form an autonomous identity (Klein, 1946). This psychoanalytic approach can be applied to the functioning of the countries of the former USSR and the CIS, where systems of condemnation and rigid Superegos have created authoritarian models of interaction, suppressing initiative and the ability to form autonomous unions. As a result, dependent behaviour is manifested not only at the level of individual strategies, but also within state institutions, which foster paternalism and the expectation of external help rather than the development of independence. Using Ukraine as an example, we analyse how changing the identity model through respect for each citizen, recognising their opinion and accepting differences in view can help form the independence of the state. This is possible through the integration of autonomous entities capable of dialogue and cooperation, where individuals can develop their own way of thinking and form an identity without fear of condemnation and repression. It is important to note that this analysis aims to understand the embedded structures of thought that continue to influence society and shape our system, from which we may or may not be able to liberate ourselves.