From the author: Once again about secondary benefits - where, when, what, how, why. - questions and answers on the topic...Dialogue with readers about “secondary benefits” - hidden benefits I have heard questions on the topic of “secondary benefits” more than once and realized that sometimes there is no consensus on this phenomenon, since many people do not have a clear understanding of “what secondary benefits are.” In particular, I give here an example of a polemic question from our regular reader of the site “psychologists b-17”, namely: user2015 Here is a quote I found that accurately describes what I meant: “Secondary benefit - what keeps a person in the problematic state that he received. In ordinary usage, this is the same as internal benefit, although in psychoanalysis “primary” and “secondary benefit” are different. In psychoanalysis, secondary benefit is understood as an advantage that the patient has. receives from already formed symptoms, that is, an advantage that he did not expect or did not intend (unconsciously) to receive in the initial period of symptom formation. This benefit does not lead to symptom formation, but contributes to the consolidation of the disease and resistance to treatment." http://www.psychologos.ru/articles/view/vtorichnaya_vygoda If you can explain and it won’t bother you, then please write.” Quite a lot has been written about secondary benefits, in detail. And still, each new case does not resemble the secondary pattern. So, I won’t practice theory, but rather show you with examples. So, examples 1st example One day Vovan invited Zigi to a restaurant for dinner. Each of them was with his own woman. Ziggy and his wife. And Vovan and his friend. Zigi, getting ready for dinner, asked his wife: “Why are you dressing up like that?” . The wife objected: “It’s customary for Russians to go to a restaurant during a parade!” Vovchik’s girlfriend sat at the computer all evening, repeating English phrases. “Why do you need this?” - the man asked curiously: Dress nicely so that Zigi will swallow his tongue and get on with business!” Zigi himself did not just go to the restaurant to eat. He had hopes of finding out secret information from a Russian colleague who held a leadership position at a secret facility. Vovan also made plans for Zigi - he dreamed of moving to work and live in Austria, and for this he needed Zigi’s support. Zigi’s wife was on a diet and I wasn’t going to eat at the restaurant. She liked Vovchik. She was going to arrange a meeting with him! Vovan’s friend had lost all hope of becoming Vovchik’s wife - he told her that he was not going to get married. She was going to use the trip to the restaurant. to ask Zigi to introduce her to an influential free foreigner! To do this, she needed to repeat English! At first glance, both couples were gathered at a restaurant for dinner. And each of them “did his own thing”! What hidden benefits did these four have? Perhaps - Zigi - to earn a second million dollars, which replaced his joy (so what for a while, then there will be more money-joy) - Vovchik - escape from the country, feel comfort and freedom. Zigi's wives - confirm your sexuality and through it - remove insecurity; Vovan's girlfriends - find love and significance. Conclusion: since the body needs secondary benefits to ensure its safety, the main function of the secondary is to protect the masks of childhood psychological trauma. This is why the secondary is so difficult to identify. They are hidden under a layer of problems deep, deep - this is the element of the unconscious sphere - our primary strong biology. Where is our young (evolutionary) consciousness, overwhelmed by parental attitudes and social norms: “NO” - this is the main word of childhood of people deprived of love. Everyone has love, but getting to the bottom of it with the secondary is extremely problematic - “censorship” will not let it through! Therefore, The main goal of any psychotherapy is to provide resources, and then to the embrasure of secondary benefits - having opened which, we will finally discover her majesty Love... and joy... and freedom!!! This benefit does not lead to the formation of symptoms, but contributes to the consolidation of the disease and resistance to treatment. Example of 2nd secondary benefit:.