Sigmund Freuds Cocaine Experiment - Essay Example

? An Analysis to Sigmund Freud’s Cocaine Experiment This paper explores Sigmund Freud’s study about cocaine and how it benefits its users. The main aim of the paper is to analyze the view of Freud through different works he presented. According to Nuland (2011), Freud has given his life for the study of cocaine. However, his studies when applied to others had resulted to disastrous effects which unfortunately stained his good name. Although cocaine brought few uses, too much intake can lead to addiction and later overdose which can be fatal. This paper presents evidences that disagree with Freud’s work on cocaine. Sigmund Freud has been known for his contributions in the field of psychology. However, there are also reasons which were considered important specifically the failures in his works that affected people. An Analysis to Sigmund Freud’s Cocaine Experiment There are different philosophers and great minds with great contributions in the establishment of the knowledge used as guidelines for the present generation. Sigmund Freud is one of the great thinkers in psychology. His works had been considered as one of the main foundations in the present principles in the said field. Although he is considered as one of the most important minds in psychology, there are negative connotations that had been attached to his name. Sigmund Freud was one of those early scientists who gave almost all of his time in discovering things. He did not let any chance to contribute knowledge pass. He made it a point to let people know how a certain thing happened. One of his major works was the work on “Uber Coca” or the well known, cocaine experiment. However, this work of his was not the others. It had met several controversies and even became the reason why his name was “questioned”. This paper explains why Freud has been discredited. Opinions regarding the issue will also be discussed all throughout. Sigmund Freud had made various experimentations so that he can have the answers he was looking for. These works include his first scientific publication “An Anatomy of Addiction” and also the very controversial, “Uber Coca”. According to Nuland (2011), Freud inhibits self-experimentations, which differed from others. The study in Coca had been one of the proofs that really, he had done self-experimentation. Nuland (2011) stated in his article that Freud, upon doing his cocaine experiment linked it to his past studies. However, there were differences acquired on each study. If Freud thought that the cocaine experiment was the same as the others, he was wrong. Each study has different standards as what his peers expressed. The cocaine experiment, as what Freud said in his book, has been started when he wrote to his fiancee, Martha Bernays. He said that he was reading about cocaine. After some time, a new letter was then received by Bernays from Freud that he was already taking in different amounts of the cocaine and found it to be a good relief for depression and anxiety (Nuland, 2011). The time came when Freud included this experiment on his book, as he works to create a universal theory of the mind and human nature, and applied it not just to himself but also to his patients. However, arguments regarding his study came and so, made the people reevaluate his studies (Nuland, 2011). Based on the known effect of cocaine, the positive effects are more than the negative effects it has. The anesthetic that Freud planned was not that effective. His experiment led to reports about addiction and overdose in many places. And so, his medical reputation became tainted and doubts immediately spread and questioned his achievements (Nuland, 2011). He was then discredited for his acts. The works and the researches undertaken by scientists can both lead to positive or negative results. They cannot get it right all the time. In the case of Freud’s work about the use cocaine, it is obvious that still, he managed to proceed with the experiment in spite how risky it is. He actually made a goal to salvage or even rescue the studies related to cocaine. He strategized on how people can still use it on a positive way. Unluckily, Freud did not succeed. His experiment resulted to a more disastrous scenario that affected the people. Freud’s paper about cocaine experiment yielded a controversial result. There are few reasons why Freud’s study was considered a failure. First and foremost, he did not obtain the experiment through scientifically accepted process and analysis. Yes, he had gathered data according to Nuland’s article (2011) but he did not actually use the typical scientific method. To have an acceptable research, one should make sure that it is scientifically based and founded with a very good background of the study. Freud lacked some of these which happened to be a worst thing to do. He just focused on his previous works that happened to be linked on this experiment. The second reason why Freud was criticized is that he did not look for both sides relating to the study. His experiments, as what Nuland (2011) stated, brought relief for depression and anxiety. The question is, how about the other effects of cocaine? It can cause addiction and even overdose. Freud had just focused on the things that may give credit to his name but did not actually consider the other points which may destroy his reputation. Through his career, he made important contributions but the experiments and studies related to cocaine brought him down. The last reason against Freud’s work is related to the self- experimentation with cocaine that he had undertaken to be able to present proofs to his claim. He himself declared the importance of scientific rules specifically against self-experimentation because it can affect the manner by which data is gathered and results are analyzed. If the researcher, just like Freud, uses self-experimentation, there is a question on the validity of his observations due to the known effect of cocaine. In some aspect it can be relieving but there is little or no assurance on the accuracy of the data collected and presented by the researcher who at the same time is the subject being studied. Due to his motive related to the results of the study, he can lean on the positive effects of cocaine and hinder and hide the observed negative effects. In addition, addiction can also be noted as the root cause of these errors in observations, data and results. There is a part on Nuland’s (2011) article when he said that Freud made it a habit to use cocaine as an antidepressant and so on. He became addicted with the substance because he believed that without it his mental illness would not be cured. Freud experienced several things upon pursuing the cocaine experiment. There was a time when he had frequently written about cocaine and published a paper in a French medical journal of his influential article “The Aetiology of Hysteria,” in which the word “psychoanalysis” is used for the first time. Also, it was the time when his father died. Addition to that is the death of his friend, Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow, who was a physiologist and been addicted to morphine which happened to be treated by Freud but actually resulted to worst case scenario which is death. Freud tried to use cocaine to his friend to achieve the healing they long for. Sadly, it did not work (Nuland, 2011). Several things happened to Freud but his life should be a lesson to scientists and even to the public. As what was mentioned above, scientific researches are well studied and have to meet several standards to be accepted and implemented. Knowing cocaine and its unhealthy effects, it is good to disagree with Freud study. Freud imposed on the benefits of the substance but ignored the harmful effects. Cocaine brings about worse effects that can hinder and even impair mental functions which will lead to lack of body control. In the long run it can lead to death. Even though the goal of Freud was positively and purposive made, it is still good to consider scientific opinions and studies. Disagreeing on Freud’s work about cocaine is not actually a bad thing on his part. It only depends on his way of thinking on how he will accept it. It is a good thing that he discovered some good uses of cocaine. It will somehow help the future researchers who will make experiments about cocaine. It can also be a good reference for them. However, if Freud would consider this action as immoral for he already gave his life on studying it, well, it makes him as someone who does not know how to accept criticism as well as professionalism. Failure is not a shameful thing to be said but a good way to start life with a new strength and knowledge. It is just another way of presenting new chances. Sigmund Freud has been well known for his various works in terms of psychological studies and analysis. His name has brought different terms in the social and psychology part of today. He has brought several contributions and thus, helps the generation today to be founded and well equipped with knowledge. Freud tried to discover some uses of cocaine. However, he did not succeed on it. Disastrous effects have been seen as results of his experimentation. Cocaine, as having an addiction effect made some people to be addicted with it and even overdose some. This made Freud’s name to be stained with accusations and judgmental words from the people. Though Freud failed with his cocaine experiment, realization and new ideas came in the minds of different people. The fruits of his hardships are visible today. New discoveries and various experimentations have been made and will be made after a long time. As part of this paper, an analysis on his cocaine experiment is to be done. His work about cocaine brought several disastrous effects and so, made it a point not to agree with pursuing his principles about it. There are several things to consider upon pursuing such works and it is somehow obvious that he did not actually considered it all but manages only his own needs. Life is important and if not facilitated well, it may come to ruin. Freud was good, unfortunately, not to this cocaine experiment. Everyone can learn from their own mistakes. It affected several lives on bad ways and so, it is not good to agree with it. Reference Nuland, S. (2011, July 21). Sigmund Freud’s cocaine years. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/books/review/an-anatomy-of-addiction-by-howard-markel-book-review.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Read More