I have studied weird theories in Psychology and one of them is the psychoanalytic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud. This is a man that some might say was obsessed with sex because instincts are the basic elements in the psychoanalytical theory. In other words, certain forces motivate an individual to act in a certain way. The question is: how did the psychoanalytic perspective develop? The answer is simple, it is a reflection of Freud’s childhood and adult life, therefore, the psychoanalytic theory can be considered “autobiographical” in nature. Freud’s theory highlights that sexual conflicts are the primary cause of all neuroses and he got this idea from his therapy sessions with his female clients. Freud’s female patients opened up about being abused by male relatives and Freud took this as the cause of their neurotic behaviour(Schultz and Schultz, 2005). What is interesting is that Freud had a negative sex life. Therefore, his personal frustrations and sexual conflicts elicited neurotic symptoms which he then projected on his patients and presented in his theory (Shultz and Schultz, 2005).
Above is the development of the theory which helps us to understand the theory’s formation, however, the structure of the theory is what cements the whole idea. According to Freud, personality is split into three parts: the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO. The Id is the place that stores the instincts and the libido (sex drive). “It is vitally and directly related to the satisfaction of bodily needs” (Schultz and Schultz, 2005), hence the id is referred to as the pleasure principle. This place is where we have the primary thought process, which is a childlike behaviour, for example if a child cries, he or she wants milk at that moment. The ego is rational because it postpones and redirects the id’s wishes in terms of reality, hence, it is the reality principle. This is the mature part of personality as it is the second thought process. The final part is the superego, which is the moral part of personality. The superego internalises societal and parental teachings and gives direction in terms of what is appropriate in a certain environment. The superego is split into the conscience and the ego-ideal. The conscience highlighting the behavior one has been punished for and the ego-ideal projecting the behaviours one should strive for.
The psychoanalytic theory highlights anxiety as part of its structure. According to Freud, one’s trauma begins at birth. The womb is a stable environment, immediately after birth, one is forced to adjust to different environmental stimuli. This is the first exposure to trauma and it creates a certain pattern and reaction (Shultz and Schultz, 2005). These are the patterns and reactions one will feel if exposed to traumatic events in the future. Anxiety leads to different defense mechanisms and it is important to note that everyone has these defense mechanisms because we all have id impulses. The difference is in the ego and superego because that is linked with the parent-child relationship during the psychosexual stages which include: oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. Freud believed that a child is motivated by sexual impulses and at a young age the child is trying to satisfy certain needs, whilst the parent imposes what is appropriate in society. The sexual conflict that occurs during this period has to be well managed to avoid fixation such as sucking a pen in adulthood due to failure of the parent to manage the oral stage. Freud was heavily invested in his theory that he believed personality forms in the first five years of life.
The next article will include the 5 psychosexual stages which will highlight how a boy can have sexual feelings for his mother and a girl for her father.
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