Father of Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud - Essay Example

Sigmund Freud Introduction Sigmund Freud: Father of Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was a practicing physician and graduate of Vienna Medical School. After becoming well trained in medicine, he became interested in mental disorders. Freud has a wide variety of theories and in the 21st century there is much controversy over whether the theories are credible or not. Although his theories are controversial, his work is significant throughout the world and he has become renowned as one of the seminal thinkers of his time.   Life Freuds ideas were challenging, and attracted many students interested in what he had to say. His works were particularly perplexing to the behaviorist, and declared that people are often subject to forces of which they are not aware. Freud wrote that many of people’s behaviors and expressions were of instinctive strivings. Sigmund Freud brought the psychoanalytic approach to psychology. Freud founded the psychoanalytic society in Vienna. This is why he can be called the Father of Psychoanalysis. His main approach was focused on human instincts and the unconscious. In Freuds early career he became intrigued by what were then called nervous disorders. By observing his patients and himself, he developed theories that revolutionized the way society thinks about human nature. He used his new ideas about human nature in his practice by developing a new technique for treating mental disorders. This new technique is called psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis was very time consuming for Sigmund Freud. It was a process of self examination and introspection. His major task was to get the patient to talk openly about all aspects of his or her life. (Badcock) Freuds views of consciousness was proposed into three levels, where "thought” was an iceberg that is nearly totally submerged. The top of the iceberg that is emerged out of the water is "thought", as the conscious state in which a person is aware of his or her surroundings and information is readily available. The middle of the iceberg that is just below the surface of the water is the "preconscious” level. The preconscious level is when you are not conscious at any one moment. The bottom of the iceberg is the area of "unconscious". At the unconscious state a person’s deepest thoughts, feelings, and memories are stored where the person is unaware, and might lead to anxiety or stress. Freud proposed that at any given time a person is only aware, or conscious, of a few things. With a little effort, ideas or memories can be accessed from the preconscious, whereas others, in the unconscious mind, may be accessed only with great difficulty. When dealing with unconsciousness, Freud believed that dreaming allows a person to engage in a fantasy and wish fulfillment of a sort. These dreams are only engaged in the unconsciousness because it would probably cause an embarrassment or discomfort if these thoughts were being engaged while awake. He saw dreams as a pathway to the discovery of the contents of our conscious mind. Freud proposed the theory of the "defense mechanism" when he noticed a conflict with the ego, and anxiety had resulted. Defense mechanisms are unconsciously applied techniques that protect the self ego against the strong feelings of anxiety. Freud came up with seven different types of classified defensive mechanisms. The seven defensive mechanisms are repression, denial, rationalization, fantasy, projection, regression, and displacement. According to Freud there are three structures of personality. The three structures of personality are the "inborn"; the "instinctive", which operates on the pleasure principle to seek an instant fulfillment; and the "ego", or sense of self. The sense of self operates on the idea of the reality principle that mediates the needs necessary link to the real world. (Jones) An example of Freud’s different views in his idea of what the school program should have been. He pushed for the development of emotions over intellect; his idea was schools should healthy personalities instead of focusing strictly on education. Because Freud dared to venture outside the boundaries of “traditional psychology” (this was when all psychology was based on scientific based theories) he received a lot of criticism. Freud’s genius was his ability to analyze and theorize his observation. His idea were not always new ideas, but were extensions on concepts on ready in existence. The theory of the unconscious was not a discovery of Freud. Psychologist before Freud described the unconscious as a part of the mind that dealt with feelings and thoughts. Freud declared that the unconscious was a separate part from the mind and that it was the minds own wishful impulses and expressions. Freud developed the idea of unconscious says Dr. Rueben author of “Freud a Critical Re-Evaluation of His Theories”. He made the unconscious a working tool for the psychologist, instead of a speculative device, as it had been in the past. (Storr 39) At the beginning of the century Freud’s works were raising horrific storms in the medical society. His theories of the unconscious and of sexuality infantile produced mounds of opposition and gross amounts of misunderstanding (Jones 65). At a convention of Neurologist in 1910 Professor Wilhelm Weygandt denounced Freud’s work when it was brought up saying; “it is not a topic for discussion at a scientific meeting; it is a matter of the police.” Another professor named Oppenhim proposed a boycott of all institutions that were tolerant of Freud’s work. It was said that Freud’s work was “nothing but pornography and that the proper place for psychoanalyst was in prison” (Wolheim 169). Freud’s ideas and methods were considered by most to be radical and wrong. An example of Freud’s radical theorizing is illustrated in his observation of patients who were said to be suffering from hysteria (a common syndrome characterized by general irritability, anxious expectations, and hypochondria). Hysteria was described as a “defense mechanism” against traumatic memories by neurologist. However Freud’s observations of these patients said something different. Freud claimed that they suffered from either inadequate sexual discharge, unhealthy sexual practices such as excessive masturbation, or prolonged sexual abstinence. Freud called this syndrome “anxiety neuroses”. His theory was that sexual excitement built up in the mind and could not be discharged adequately and somehow gets converted to anxiety. (Wolheim 38) Death Although he had health complications in his later years, he continued to smoke; he could not quit. At the age of 67, he developed cancer, probably due to his smoking. He refused any painkillers early on because he thought it would interfere with his thinking. By June 1939, his jaw was ulcerating, causing a smell so foul that even his beloved pet chow would run away in disgust. Freud became very interested in using cocaine as a pharmaceutical drug. Some benefits of the drug were found in eye surgery, but mostly the experiments were disastrous. These experiments caused a deadly addiction in his friend, Ernst Fleischl von Marxow, and tainted his medical reputation for many years afterwards. Freud was in great pain, could hardly speak or hold his pen, yet he remained distinguished, impeccably groomed, invariably courteous, and worked whenever possible, reinforcing his obsessive personality even at his death bed. Freud died on the morning of September 23, 1939. References Badcock, Christopher. Essential Freud. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1988. Storr, Anthony. Freud. Oxford: Oxford University, 1989. Jones, E. Sigmund Freud: Life and Work (3 vols). Basic Books. 1953-1957. Wollheim, R. Freud. Fontana, 1971. Read More