Quoted in mid-day on 5th Jan, 2021
A psychological perspective- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
However, instead of viewing the text as a literal playing out of a personality disorder, Dr Nahid Dave, a psychiatrist at Thought Matters, points out that the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a metaphoric description of certain fundamental, but not commonly discussed, concepts. There are numerous instances where timid and introverted individuals have changed into entirely different personalities to protect themselves, suggests Dr Dave, adding that this switch is subconscious, unlike what the book describes, at least in the initial transformations. Further, any illness whether physical or mental, brings primary and secondary gains. Primary gains involve feeling cared for and nurtured, while secondary gains relate to absolving yourself from the duties or responsibilities that are likely causing the stress. "In dissociative disorders, the relief that stems from exempting oneself from the stressor gets further reinforced with each episode "We are encouraged to ignore the id and are rewarded if we control our temptations. Over time, this creates stress and can lead to the id taking over. Mr Hyde is an example of the id taking over," says Dr Dave. Each one of us has good and bad within us, reminds Dr Dave. The author was also able to highlight the importance of developing healthy coping mechanisms. To this day, most people do not know how to direct or express anger in a healthy way. "We must understand that anger, frustration, guilt, fear, and embarrassment are normal emotions, which we experience from the age of three onwards. They will not go away. We must learn to accept instead of suppressing them," she signs off.