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Methods of psychoanalytic theory
Psychodynamics sigmund freud
Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalysis
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All humans experience physical pain. For some people, however, their physical pain is not the result of a physical issue but a psychological one, at least according to Sigmund Freud’s Studies on Hysteria. On a surface level, one might conclude that this book is just a pseudoscientist rambling about the relationship between a hysteric’s thoughts and physical experiences. Although scientific support of Freud’s methods may be lacking, a careful reading reveals that Freud is concerned with bridging the divides between associations and experiences to relieve patients of physical pain and, more importantly, to better understand themselves. Studies on Hysteria details his process of bridging these gaps. To solve any problem, one must understand the source of the problem. In the case of hysteria, the problem is that traumatic events have not been sufficiently …show more content…
As one can gather from the example of Elisabeth Von R., one reason psychoanalysis is complex is that each case is unique to the individual, so there is not a step-by-step procedure that works for everyone. Even though Freud consistently uses his general strategy of peeling away layers of consciousness, his method of removing those layers varies case to case. For example, hypnosis does not work on Von R., but pressing her head does. Another source of complexity is that sometimes a hysterical symptom does not show up right after the traumatic event but when the patient has a memory of the trauma (169), which can make it difficult to pinpoint the cause of hysteria, as was the case with Von R. The first time she faced conflict between her own enjoyment and her father’s, she experienced no pain. One last challenging aspect of psychoanalysis is that most often hysterics suffer from not just a single trauma but multiple similar ones (173). Again, with Von R., her hysteria was the result of repeated traumas related to the same situations (her father and
Hysteria has no place in a society because it is wrong. It causes chaos and confusion and in these cases death.
What is a hysteria? By definition, hysteria is a state of intense agitation, anxiety, or excitement, especially as manifested by large groups or segments of society. In a broader sense however, hysteria is a killer, the delitescent devil. Hysteria was the main cause of nineteen deaths in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Years later, hysteria was responsible for countless ruined reputations and lives during the era of Senator Joe McCarthy.
Freud’s approach trauma is based in the treatment of hysteria. According to Ringel and Brandell, Freud and Breuer, considered an “external event” as responsible of determining hysterical symptoms. The common component between hysteria and trauma is the outcome of fright. Freud and Breuer emphasis the importance of cathartic experience as a way of decreasing or vanishing the effect. The “cathartic method” that was developed by Breuer, assisted to release of inhibited emotions. Freud believed that the libido, necessary to be relished for the symptoms to be improved (p. 43).
Hysteria is characterized as an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality. Wherever hysteria takes place, it seems to condone distortion of the truth, unfathomable actions, and illogical accusations causing communities to rip apart. Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbors, whom they grown to trust, do things that one would normally find anomalous. People who died in the haste of fear and uncertainty were often unnecessary because fear clouds the judgment and perception of a person.
The aim of the psychoanalytic therapy is to resolve interpersonal conflicts, toward the end of reconstructing one’s basic personality. (Corey 2013). Gathering life-history data, dream analysis, free association, interpretation and analysis of resistance and transference. Such procedures are aimed at increasing awareness, gaining intellectual and emotional insight. This begins a working-through process that leads to the reorganization of the client personality. According to Freud, out most intense experience of anxiety occurs at birth, when we are speratated from our mothers. Using this model will allow to examine the aniety as the basis of all the clients feelings of anxiety. Seperation from his mother at the age of 6 may have had an impact. Finally, this model tend that if noramal, rational approaches of the ego to reduce anxiety are not effective, the ego revert to ego-defense mechanisms. Jackson’s was defensive when discussion of possible sexual abuse was introduced in the sessions. This was pointed out as the Defense Mechansims, Repression. Therapist find this useful to bring the past experiences to the present, so that the client can begin to be aware.
Hysteria is defined by dictionary.com as “Behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic.” This was a critical theme in the play in which it was tearing apart the community. Hysteria replaces logic and allows people to believe that their neighbors are committing some unbelievable crimes such as, communicating with the devil, killings babies, and so on.
Sigmund Freud believed that he “occupies a special place in the history of psychoanalysis and marks a turning point, it was with it that analysis took the step from being a psychotherapeutic procedure to being in depth-psychology” (Jones). Psychoanalysis is a theory or therapy to decode the puzzle of neurotic disorders like hysteria. During the therapy sessions, the patients would talk about their dreams. Freud would analyze not only the manifest content (what the dreamer remembers) of the dreams, but the disguise that caused the repressions of the idea. During our dreams, the decision making part of personality’s defenses are lowered allowing some of the repressed material to become more aware in a distorted form. He distinguished between
Freudian psychoanalysis distinguished three types of anxiety, - objective anxiety, neurotic anxiety, and moral anxiety. It is the ego's job to deal with anxiety (Hergenhahn, 2009). Freud's theories emphasize on sex as the main motive for human behavior, therefore a Freudian psychoanalysis therapist may attribute origin of the person’s anxiety to sex oriented issues such as sexual relationship, conflicts, and abuse, etc. The role of Freudian psychoanalysis therapist is to encourage patients to focus on affect and the expression of emotion and to explore their attempts to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings. One technique of Freudian psychotherapy is free association which means that patients are encouraged to recall and talk about their
Despite the fact that the psychoanalytic approach is the most controversial interpretation of literature, it proves to be utterly intriguing. In stories such as this, the sexual undertones are clearly evident, and thus substantiate the intricacies behind the approach. Perhaps it is a bit untraditional. However, this investigation remains both thought provoking and brilliantly compelling.
The aim of this essay is to clarify the basic principles of Freud’s theories and to raise the main issues.
Mass hysteria illustrates situations where people’s psychological distress is converted into physical symptoms. Whereas, due to a stressful or alarming event, people are filled with fear and anxiety, which makes them vulnerable to become captivated by the actions and feelings of others around them. This causes them adopt those same feelings, symptoms, or beliefs, whether they are actually true or not. Representations of mass hysteria are evident in many forms, whether it is in a cartoon, a picture, a piece of literature, or everyday life. Sometimes, through those forms, the idea of mass hysteria is used to satirize an event and convey a message. Mass hysteria is a psychological and neurological issue that instills fear within the minds of people,
Freud had developed his theory of hysteria and how its origin came from repressed sexual desire. He diagnosed Dora as someone who was suffering from hysteria as a result of this repressed desire. He used the fact that when Herr K. was not around, Dora was unable to talk, and that showed that her symptoms of hysteria were directly correlated with Herr K. He concluded from his invalid evidence, which consisted of Dora's dreams and her past childhood experiences, that she was indeed repressing her love for Herr K. and this cam...
The theory included the phenomenon of enjoying pain and sadism, which is all about finding pleasure in pain. Freud ascertained that the unconscious constitutes of three senses. These senses include the life instinct, the Eros, which initiates skill improvement in an individual and helps them to be better, successful, people. Eros plays a key role in improving an individual’s personality. Another instinct is the sex sense which brings about libido energy to individuals, and bodily pleasures, such as having a meal or having a good conversation. The third instinct is known as Thanatos which is a death instinct. This deals with pushing people towards death. The superego is always alert to subside the pressures of Thanatos, but ultimately the unconscious takes full control (Myers 84). From this brief introduction, this paper is going to explore the psychoanalysis theory of personality, its key components, and its relevancy to the modern culture.
From the History of an Infantile Neurosis represents a fascinating case written by Sigmund Freud that was published in 1918. It is one of his most important cases since it covers many aspects for possible development of key questions and concepts concerning psychoanalysis. It shows the fascinating story of Sergeï Konstantinovitch Pankejeff, “the Wolf Man” who had a lifetime commitment to psychoanalysis while Freud and other analysts were trying to find a possible solution to his psychotic episodes and neuroses. This allowed him to become a professional patient and have a strong influence on psychoanalysis. How Freud represented his life story very easily allowed the existence of different views concerning his way of treatment, but also the
This shows the connection between personal experiences and how it shapes a person into a mad state of mind. Anything can affect a person’s sanity, even the smallest experience can change a person’s life. Illnesses like schizophrenia and paranoia are a kind of psychic phenomena which influence a person’s madness (Thomson). Madness manifests itself in literature as a metaphor for psychological conflict which are not of pathological nature (Thomson). This contains fervor that has created components of reason and common-sense that are not typically connected to madness.