| ego-dystonic | Repugnant to or at variance with the aims of the ego and related psychological needs of the individual (e.g., an obsessive thought or compulsive behaviour); the opposite of ego-syntonic. Synonym: ego-alien. Origin: ego + G. Dys, bad, + tonos, tension (05 Mar 2000) |
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| ego-dystonic homosexuality | A psychological or psychiatric disorder in which an individual experiences persistent distress associated with same-sex preference and a strong need to change the behaviour or, at least, to alleviate the distress associated with the homosexuality. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ego-ideal | In psychoanalysis, a more or less conscious ideal of personal excellence toward which an individual strives, and that is derived from a composite image of the personal characteristics of a parent, public figure, or one or more other individuals the person admires. The part of the personality that comprises the goals, aspirations, and aims of the self, usually growing out of the emulation of a significant person with whom one has identified. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ego instincts | Self-preservative needs and self-love, as opposed to object love; drives that are primarily erotic. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ego-syntonic | Acceptable to the aims of the ego and the related psychological needs of the individual (e.g., a delusion); the opposite of ego-dystonic. Origin: ego + G. Syn, together, + tonos, tension (05 Mar 2000) |