The Dominant Role of Sexual Drives in the Psychodynamic - Essay Example

The Dominant Role of Sexual Drives in the Psychodynamic Perspective 0 Introduction A significant number of mental health practitioners utilised psychodynamic approach in the current times. Psychodynamic approach concentrates on the analysis of unconscious conflicts and motives in an attempt to explain behavior. The principles and concepts of psychodynamic approach evolved from Freud’s works (cited in Trull, 2005, p.345). Psychodynamic approaches include interpersonal theory, object relations, and psychoanalysis (Chan, et al., 2011, p.117). It aims to present a brief conceptualisation of a client’s case and formulation of a treatment plan (Summers, 2003). The primary criticism of psychodynamic approach lies on the importance it puts on the sexual urges of individuals. This approach contends that some disorders arise due to the difficulty of repressing aggressively and sexual urges (Rathus, 2010, p.436). This paper aims to discuss how psychodynamic psychologists explain an individual’s behavior. It outlines how biological drives determine an individual’s psychosexual development. In addition, it tackles on how defense mechanisms alleviate or eliminate anxiety caused by an individual’s failure to progress through each psychosexual stage of development. Lastly, this paper discusses the importance put by Psychodynamic approach on sexual drives. 2.0 How Psychodynamic Psychologists Explain Behavior 2.1 Psychosexual Stages of Development Psychodynamic approach tackles on the individual’s emotional problems and personality development. Therapists are primarily concerned with client’s internal world and experiences (McLoughlin, 1995, p.13; Casement, 1990). Thus, they delved into the client’s thoughts, emotions, dreams, and the like (Wheelock, 2000). In addition, psychodynamic perspective views development in terms of the individual’s internal drives, which are often hidden from awareness or unconscious. These motives are considered as the underlying mechanisms, which influence human behavior and thinking. It consequently provides the basis for the universal stages of development (Gordon & Browne, 2010, p.108). Freud (cited in Pressley & McCormick, 2007, p.137) considered sexual pleasures as essential in the individual’s psychosexual stages of development. The sexual energy of the child is aimed at attaining pleasure in particular body area in each of these psychosexual stages (cited in Whoolery, 2007; Steinberg, 1993). Freud (cited in Pressley & McCormick) regarded the oral stage as the primary stage of the psychosexual development. The primary erogenous zone at this stage is the mouth; thus, the infant is driven to seek pleasure through sucking the mother’s breast (Nevid, 2011, p.387). Freud (cited in Tamparo & Lindh, 2008, p.230) defined erogenous zones as regions of the body, which are sensitive to pleasurable stimulation. Too much gratification in this stage may result to oral fixation, which is manifested by individuals through alcohol abuse, overeating, nail biting, and the like. In contrary, too little gratification may lead to pessimistic outlook, clinging dependence, and passivity during adulthood (Nevid, 2011, p.387). The child enters into the anal stage by 18 months of age. The anal cavity serves as the primary erogenous zone during this stage as the child acquires the capability to control elimination through releasing and contracting the sphincter muscles (Nevid, 2011, p.387). Anal fixations occur with too lenient or harsh toilet training. An individual who experienced harsh toilet training may develop anal-retentive personality, which is characterised by an extreme need for cleanliness, neatness, and self-control. Meanwhile, those who lack toilet training may exhibit characteristics of anal-expulsive personality such as carelessness, messiness, and lack of self-discipline (Nevid, 2011, p.387). The erogenous zone shifts in the clitoris in females and penis in males during the phallic stage. Oedipus complex serves as the core conflict at this stage (cited in Leite, et al., 1994). It refers to development of incestuous admiration for the opposite sex parent and rivalry to the parent with the same sex. Boys resolve this conflict through identifying with their rival and forsaking incestuous desires for their mothers (cited in Leite, et al., 1994). Similarly, girls forsake their incestuous wishes to their father and identify with their mother. This stage is also marked by the emergence of castration anxiety for boys and penis envy for the girls (cited in Leite, et al., 1994). The failure to identify the parent of the same sex may lead to development of characteristics associated with the opposite sex or homosexuality (cited in Leite, et al., 1994). Sexual impulses are dormant during the next stage, which is referred to as the latency stage. These sexual urges re-emerge during the genital stage. However, during this stage, the child has learned to direct his/her sexual desires to suitable sexual partners (Nevid, 2011, p.387). Barron and Meier (2010, p.66) asserted that individual’s personality proceeds with the shifting changes and interest in the nature of the sexual pleasure. These stages may overlap with one another or individuals may simultaneously advance to other stages. Those who fail to progress satisfactorily to each stage experience personality difficulties and conflicts (Barron and Meier, 2010, p.66). 2.2 Defense Mechanisms Psychodynamic therapists aimed to interpret the defenses, which obscure the conflicts in the past. In addition, the therapist is driven to let the client consciously re-experience the forbidden urges, memories, and fears (Ursano, et al., 2004, p.95; Coren, 2001, p. 8). Troublesome and prolonged conflicts commonly involve aggressive and sexual urges that society desires to tame. These conflicts operate unconsciously and may subsequently engender anxiety (Dryden, 1993). Anxiety is a negative feeling that individuals desire to get rid of; thus, they unknowingly utilised defense mechanisms. Weitin (2010, p.382) defines defense mechanisms as unconscious reactions, which protect the individual from unpleasant emotions. Grimm (1994) asserted that these defenses have five primary features including 1) the ability to manage emotions and instincts, 2) they involved unconscious processes, 3) each is a separate entity, 4) they are alterable, and lastly 5) they can be pathological or adaptive. The defense mechanisms utilised by individuals include identification, depression, projection, and the like (cited in Petraglia, 2009; cited in Jacobs, 1988, p.108). 3.0 The Issue on the Importance Put by Psychodynamic Approach on Sex Psychodynamic approach puts emphasis on the individual’s sexual urges. It should be noted that psychodynamic approach used the word sex to refer to a range of pleasures, which are not necessarily related to sexual intercourse or sexual conduct. Psychodynamic approach supports the premise that human sexuality developed during childhood (Brandell, 2004, p.31). Sexual wishes during childhood serve as predecessors to the adult sexuality. It is assimilated to the larger network of adult wishes. The nature of childhood sexual wishes is conflictual; thus, its role in the adult sexuality leads disturbances of love life and sexuality (Brandell, 2004, p.31). Clinard and Meier (2010, p.14) reiterated that the intensity and form of adult’s behaviors was heavily determined by instinctive drives-especially sexual ones. The Psychodynamic approach supports the premise that the conscious self overlies a reservoir of biological urges. It defines personality as integration of the id, ego, and superego (cited in Clinard & Meier, 2010, p.14). The id buries a reservoir of instinctual and unconscious animal tendencies or urges. Meanwhile, the ego is founded on reality principle and reflects the conscious aspect of the mind. Freud (cited in Clinard & Meier, 2010, p.14) proposed a dualistic conception of the human mind whereby the id or the unconscious realm of biological urges compete with the ego, which consciously operates to control behavior. The superego functions to mediate this conflict (Clinard & Meier, 2010, p.14). Psychodynamic approach supports the premise that psychological problems arise from the conflicting demands of the superego, id, ego, and reality (Trull, 2005, p.345). Whoolery (2007) considered the id as the primary identity of the individual’s personality. He further argued that children are born with a pure id. Thus, a child is strongly driven to gratify his/her own needs. As the child grew, he/she realises that it is impossible to fulfill instinctual desires without incurring suffering and punishment (Andrade, 2007). Thus, the ego emerges to resolve the conflict between the pressures in the environmental context and personal desires (Hanly, 1993). It functions to fulfill the needs of the child in a socially acceptable manner. Meanwhile, the superego represents the societal and parental norms (cited in Gauthier, 2009, p.274). It should be reiterated that Psychodynamic approach did not merely concentrate on sexual urges but also on aggressive drives (Evans, 1996). Freud postulated that these drives are subject to ambiguous and complex social controls compared to other basic motives (Weitin, 2010, p.382; Sandler, Dare, & Holder, 1992). In addition, he asserted that these sexual and aggressive drives are often thwarted compared to other biological urges. Freud puts emphasis on these drives as social norms routinely dictate to be frustrated (Weitin, 2010, p.382). 4.0 Conclusion The Psychodynamic approach focuses on the analysis of the unconscious motives and conflicts in explaining behavior. It supports the premise that personality proceeds with the shifting changes and interest in each stage of the psychosexual development. The oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital phase comprise the stages of psychosexual development. The individual’s failure to satisfactorily progress through these stages entails personality difficulties and anxiety. Individuals alleviate the sense of anxiety through unconsciously utilising defense mechanisms. Psychodynamic approach espouses the assumption that the conscious self overlies numerous biological drives. It views personality as composed of the id, ego, and the superego. The id or the unconscious world of biological drives competes with ego in controlling individual’s behavior. Meanwhile, the superego operates to mediate the conflict of these two aspects of personality. Psychodynamic approach puts great emphasis on sexual drives in explaining individual’s personality. However, it should be noted that Psychodynamic approach also focused on aggressive drives. Freud reiterated that these drives are frequently thwarted compared to other biological urges. References Andrade, V.M., 2007. Dreaming as a primordial state of the mind: the clinical relevance of structural faults in the body ego as revealed in dreaming. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 88, pp.55+. Barron, M. & Meier, R.F., 2010. Sociology of deviant behavior. USA: Cengage Learning. Brandell, J.R., 2004. 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