Freud's Psychoanalysis (PDF)

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES: PART 1. FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYSIS TOP L1&2 JMTN FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYSIS WAS THE ORIGINAL PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY AND THERAPY  includes all theories that explain the origins of human behavior based on Freud and his followers: Carl Jung (1912), Melanie Klein (1921),...

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES: PART 1. FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYSIS TOP L1&2 JMTN FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYSIS WAS THE ORIGINAL PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY AND THERAPY  includes all theories that explain the origins of human behavior based on Freud and his followers: Carl Jung (1912), Melanie Klein (1921), Alfred Adler (1927), Anna Freud (1936), and Erik Erikson (1950).  The approach includes all the theories that view human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly the unconscious, and among the different structures of the personality.  THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS A. The Importance of An example is Hysteria -- a the Unconscious physical symptom that has no physical cause though  The causes of behavior experienced just as real – though viewed as caused by have their origins in the some underlying unconscious mind. unconscious problem.  Most of the content of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant and could cause feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict if it became conscious. THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS… B. Importance of early experience  Our behavior as adults, including emotional problems, are rooted in our childhood experiences.  Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by conflicts during the psychosexual stages of development.  Events that occur in childhood can remain in the unconscious and cause problems, such as mental illness, as adults THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS… C. Psychic determinism Psychodynamic theory is strongly deterministic as it views behavior as entirely caused by unconscious emotional drives over which we have no control. Unconscious thoughts and feelings can transfer to the conscious mind through parapraxes, popularly known as Freudian slips or slips of the tongue. Freud believed that slips of the tongue provided an insight into the unconscious mind and that there are no accidents; every behavior (including slips of the tongue) is significant and is determined. THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS… D. Behavior can be explained in terms of the inner conflicts of the mind  Parts of the unconscious mind (id and superego) are in constant conflict with the conscious part of the mind (ego). When unconscious conflicts between the id and the superego cannot be resolved by the ego, they create anxiety. To reduce this anxiety, we use defense mechanisms, such as repression. TO B E MENTALLY HEALTHY… If the superego is dominant, the individual might develop a neurosis (e.g, depression). If the id is dominant, the individual might develop a psychosis (e.g., schizophrenia).  The psychodynamic approach suggests that resolution of the problem can be achieved by the therapist assisting the client to delve back into their childhood and identify when the problem arose. Hence, the problem can be brought into the conscious where the imbalance can be resolved, returning equanimity among the id, ego, and superego. METHODOLOGY  Case studies (Little Hans, Anna O, Wolf Man)  Dream analysis  Free association  Projective tests (TAT, inkblots)  Clinical interviews  Hypnosis (in 1896, Freud replaced this with free association)  CASE STUDIES… Little Hans – case study of a 5 year old boy who had a phobia of horses  Led to Freud’s formulation of Freud’s concept of Oedipus and castration complexes Anna O – case history of Bertha Pappenheim (patient of Joseph Breuer)  Influenced the ideas of psychodynamic approach  Her treatment led to emphasis on the impact of early traumas and subconscious ideas on the conscious mind and gave rise to the use of “talking therapy” and hypnosis SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) --His Theory of Psychoanalysis  THE EARLY Y E A R S Born on May 6, 1856 In Freiberg, Moravia (now Czech Republic) At age 4, his family moved to Vienna, Austria Father was strict and authoritarian Mother was protective and loving  THE EARLY Y E A R S … Attitude towards Towards the mother, father marked by: Freud “felt a Hostility passionate and Hatred sexual attachment” Rage (Schultz & Schultz, 2013)  “A man who has been AMONG HIS LIFELONG the indisputable PERSONALITY favorite of his mother CHARACTERISTICS keeps for life the WERE… feeling of a  High degree of self- conqueror, that confidence confidence of success that often induces  An intense ambition to real success” succeed (quoted in Jones, 1953, p.5)  Dreams of glory and fame  High level of intelligence (which his parents helped foster) HOW INTELLIGENT FREUD WAS… Frequently the head of his class Fluent in German and Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French, English, Italian and Spanish Completed medical degree at the University of Vienna Conducted physiological research on the spinal cord of fish and the testes of the eel  THE EPISODE WITH C O C A I N E Called it a miracle drug In 1884, published an article about its beneficial effects Strongly criticized for contributing to the epidemic of cocaine use in Europe and USA To correct things, he deleted all references to the substance from his own biography However, continued to use cocaine till middle age  HIS PRIVATE P R A C T I C E … In 1881, practised as clinical neurologist Trained in hypnosis under Jean Martin Charcot Important writings include Studies on Hysteria (with Breuer) and Interpretation of Dreams Learned about sexual basis of neurosis After several years of practice, became convinced that the primary cause of all neuroses is sexual conflict.  HIS NEUROTIC E P I S O D E … In his forties… Described his neurotic episode as involving “odd states of mind not intelligible to consciousness – cloudy thoughts and veiled doubts…” Was troubled by various physical symptoms, e.g., migraine, urinary problems, and spastic colon; Worried about death, and anxious about travel and open spaces  HIS NEUROTIC E P I S O D E … Diagnosed his condition as anxiety neurosis and neurasthenia Traced these to accumulation of sexual tension: In his writings, he proposed: Neurasthenia in men due to masturbation Anxiety neurosis due to abnormal sexual practices and abstinence  “ T H E M O S T IMPORTANT PATIENT FOR ME W A S MY OWN P E R S O N ” (FREUD) Studied and interpreted his own dreams From such, he realized how much hostility he felt toward his father Recalled his childhood longings for his mother Even dreamed of a sex wish toward his eldest daughter His theory was formulated around his own neurotic conflicts DEVELOPING HIS T H E O R Y … Initially intuitive more rational and (from his own empirical (through experiences) work with patients)  Published books Presented papers at scientific and articles meetings Attracted a group of disciples THE PINNACLE O F S U C C E S S --reached the peak of career between the 1920s and 1930s  THE E N DI N G … In 1933, the Nazis came to power in Germany and they burned Freud’s books. In 1938, the Nazis occupied Austria; Freud agreed to leave for London only after his daughter Anna was arrested His health deteriorated due to cancer of the mouth Died in 1939 after being administered 3 injections of morphine within 24 hours  RE-VIEWING F R E U D’ S T HEO RY AND C O N C E P T S Propelling Forces of the Personality Instincts  life instinct  libido  cathexis  death instinct  aggressive drive  LIFE INSTINCT (EROS)… Behaviors commonly drive relating to associated with this include: basic survival love, sharing, and other (thirst, hunger, pain prosocial actions, even avoidance) pleasure, altruism – behaviors that support individual well-being and reproduction and harmonious living in a (sexual healthy society. procreation); The energy created (Image from University of California, Berkeley) by the life drive is called the libido. LIFE INSTINCT… Libido -- part of the id which seeks its gratifications from purely sexual activities (Bischof, 1970) -- the form of psychic energy that drives a person toward pleasurable behaviors and thoughts (Schultz & Schultz, 1998, 2013) Cathexis -- an investment of psychic energy (emotional investment) in an object or person, can be positive or negative; a group of cathected ideas is a complex.  DEATH INSTINCT (THANATOS)… Freud postulated that humans are driven toward death and destruction, hence, "the aim of all life is death.“  Subjugated by the libido and manifested through the drive for destruction and will to power (as in sadism)  When channeled outward, it appears as aggression toward others; when inward, it can result in self-harm or suicide  DEATH INSTINCT… Freud based his concept on clinical observations of Freud then people who, after concluded that experiencing a traumatic people hold an event, would often unconscious recreate or revisit it. desire to die, but Example: the soldier the life instinct returning from the war tempers this wish. who revisits the trauma in dreams that repeatedly take him back to combat  CU R R E N T OPINIONS ABOUT FREUD’S L IF E AND DEATH INSTINCTS… Death drive is incompatible with the sanctity of life, and seems to encourage or justify suicide; Freud’s thinking is a product of his times, hence, the concept is flawed and doesn’t make sense in contemporary life; The life drive is often oversimplified to mean libido, the energy that drives sex and creativity. Drives are abstract and science cannot verify or disprove their existence by any reliable, quantifiable measure.  LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1. Conscious Is limited, because only a small portion Includes all the of our thoughts, sensations and sensations and experiences of memories exists in which we aware at conscious awareness any given at any given time. moment.  LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2. Unconscious The larger region of the Freud considers mind that holds our this the main instincts and repressed driving power experiences, desires and behind our conflicts that are not behavior. acceptable.  LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3. Preconscious Storehouse of memories, Situated between perceptions and the conscious thoughts that we are and the not aware of at the moment but that we unconscious can easily summon into the conscious.  RE-VIEWING F R E U D ’ S THEORY AND C ONC EPTS: CAN YOU DEFINE THEM AGAIN? Structure of the Personality 1. id --libido 2. ego 3. superego: a) conscience b) ego ideal  ID LIBIDO “…Part of the id which The animal, primitive, seeks gratification from savage instinct present purely sexual activities.” (Bischof, at birth (Bischof, 1970) 1970) Operates according to “…the form of psychic the pleasure principle. energy, manifested by the life instinct, that Selfish, and strives for drives a person toward immediate gratification pleasurable behaviors and thoughts.” (Schultz & Schultz, 2013)  THE E G O The rational aspect Decides when and of the personality, how the id can best responsible for be satisfied, in directing and accordance with the controlling the reality instincts according to the reality principle  THE S U P E R E G O The moral-ethical Conscience –consists aspect of the of the behaviors for personality; the which the child has internalized been punished. parental and societal values and standards Ego Ideal – contains the moral or ideal behaviors one should strive for.  RE-VIEWING F R E U D ’ S T H E O RY AND CONCEPTS Primary process thought -- childlike thinking by which the id attempts to satisfy the instinctual drives Secondary process thought -- mature thought processes needed to deal rationally with the external world  RE-VIEWING F R E U D ’ S THEORY AND CONCEPTS Defenses against anxiety -- strategies the ego uses to defend itself against the anxiety provoked by conflicts of everyday life. -- involve denials or distortions of reality  RE-VIEWING F R E U D ’ S THEORY AND C O N C EPTS Erogenous zones –parts of the body which are easily aroused when manipulated or touched. Jackson’s law –the first things to come into the system are the last to leave.  FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES Stage Age Characteristics Oral Birth  primary interaction with the world to 1 is through the mouth;  mouth is vital for eating; year  infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking;  if this need is not met, the child may develop an oral fixation later in life, examples include thumb-sucking, smoking, fingernail biting and overeating.  PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES Stage Age Characteristics  primary focus of the libido is on Anal 1 to 3 controlling bladder and bowel years movements  toilet training: a. too much pressure can result in an excessive need for order or cleanliness later in life, b. too little pressure from parents can lead to messy or destructive behavior later in life.  PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES Stage Age Characteristics  primary focus of the id's energy Phallic 3-6 years is on the genitals;  Oedipal Complex (and Electra Complex); castration anxiety  to cope, children adopt the values and characteristics of the same-sex parent, thus forming the superego.  PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES Stage Age Characteristics  superego continues to Latency 6 to develop while the id's puberty energies are suppressed; develop social skills, values and relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.  PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES Stage Age Characteristics  libido becomes active again; Genital Puberty  develop a strong interest in the and opposite sex; beyond  If development has been successful to this point, the individual will continue to develop into a well-balanced person.  CRITIQUE AND COMMENTARIES ON F R E U D ’ S THEORY Freud’s approach gave rise to the first “talking cure” on which many psychotherapies are now based. It is rarely used now in its original form. Approach is unscientific, cannot be empirically investigated. However, empirical findings have demonstrated the role of the unconscious in the following: In Cognitive Psych: procedural memory (Tulving, 1972), and automatic processing (Barch & Chartrand, 1999; Stroop, 1935), and in Social Psych: implicit processing (Greenwald & Banaji, 1995). C RITIQ UE… Evidence for the abstract concepts has been obtained from case studies; sample lacks population validity. The case study method is prone to researcher bias. “Reexamination of Freud’s clinical work suggest that he sometimes distorted his patients’ case histories to ‘fit’ his theory (Sulloway, 1991). Too deterministic (from the Humanistic POV), leaving little room for the idea of personal agency, i.e, the free will; Sexist against women: the “penis envy” suggests women are weaker (Mcleod, 2023. “Psychodynamic Approach in Psychology”. https://www.simplypsychology.org  R E L E V A N C E O F FRE UD TODAY? Over time, in addition to affecting changes in one’s life, psychoanalysis also changes brain chemistry. Reasons why?  “Putting into words”; giving voice to emotion – “diffuse and problematic emotional states can be named and mastered’; verbalizing emotions that have been cut off by trauma or intense fear;  feeling and speaking about hostile feelings in therapy is discovered to be not dangerous ;  Developing values and ideals is a form of emotional learning in psychoanalysis. In this approach, sincerity, the examined life, concern for others, intimacy, sexuality and its multiplicity of function and expression are valued. McWilliams, N. (2003). The Educative Aspects of Psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic Psychology (20) (2). RELEVANCE… In defense of some keypoints of Psychoanalysis: 1. Psychological denial can be defined as the inability to face facts that are painful or uncomfortable. 2. (During the pandemic) psychological denial has become a crisis on its own, as it has interfered with public health efforts to contain the spread of covid 19. 3. Therapists who persist in their skepticism toward Freudian denial are denying hard evidence and practicing denial themselves. Ratner, Austin, M.D. (2021). “When denial turns deadly: a psychoanalytic perspective”. Linda Michaels, PsyD. (Editor.), https://psychologytoday.com 2021.  ACTIVITY 1 1. Here are some more Freudian concepts. Find out what they mean: a) free association b) catharsis c) resistance d) subliminal perception 2. Find an article or publication about the influence of Freud in contemporary Psychology or his relevance today. Draw out the keypoints from the article and give your insights about them.