The History and Development of Psychoanalytic Ideas - Term Paper Example

The history and development of psychoanalytic ideas The history and development of psychoanalytic ideas Psychoanalysis is a discipline, idea, or notion that was coined in by Sigmund Freud and it highlights and accentuates the power or authority of the insentient mentality on the manners of human beings conduct. To understand psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud alleged and comprehended the fact that the intellect of human beings consists of three constituents. These constituents include id, ego, and superego. Other sources have defined psychoanalysis as a hypothesis or conjuncture concerning human beings and their ways of life. As evidenced by a good number of current methodical investigations, there are numerous theories in psychology. However, many of these theories are considered as diminutive assumptions. In contrast, psychoanalysis is regarded as the ultimate and ostentatious hypothesis that endeavours to offer a rationalization or vindication of each and every facet of human being subsistence. This paper elucidates the history of psychoanalytic ideas, and focuses on Winnicotts concept. According to Pozzi and Tydeman (2007), the field of psychology in the modern world reveals ideas and notions with a diverse and wide-ranging record of accounts. Therefore, it is of significance for an individual seeking to comprehend the field of psychology in an in-depth manner to investigate these historical accounts. For instance, in order to understand the history of psychoanalysis, it would be mandatory to investigate the people accountable and also other historical accounts of psychoanalysis. Gabbard, Litowitz and Williams (2011) asserts that during the conception of psychoanalytic ideas, Freud conducted a scientific assessment on individuals suffering from psychosis as well as other medical conditions. Based on his results, he brought forward the assertion that occurrences or incidents that happen in the initial stages of child development and insentient desires or whims add on the growth and progression of character, traits, and manners of conduct during adulthood. Other theorists made their conclusions on the basis of Freuds ideas. Some of these widely recognized theorists include Erik Erikson and Jacques Lacan. Erikson focused on the significance of development all through human existence. In comparison with Freud, Lacan postulated his ideas on psychosis. In trying to explain psychosis, Jacques Lacan investigated a specific lady who had tried to end the life of a well-known and celebrated performer who she alleged to have talked ill of her. According to Lacan, the attempt of the lady to end the life of another, who was in-fact a stranger was an indication of insentient extrasensory or intuitive means of integrating individual reflection with that of a romanticized other. According to Lacan, the lady seeking to kill another established and confirmed a whole range of suspicion, mistrust, envy, harassment, chauvinism, and pretentiousness (Gabbard, Litowitz and Williams, 2011). While all these were being portrayed, the woman was upholding and sustaining her rational and logical performance. Going back to Freuds ideas, many researchers and theorists have argued that psychoanalysis began with Freud unearthing the fact that signs or indications have a significance or importance. This is in accordance with his scientific research with hysterical or mentally challenged individuals. Available sources indicate that this gave rise to the breakthrough of the insentient method, authoritarianism, as well as allegory. These breakthroughs are considered indivisible. Based on these findings, Freud outlined his ideas and postulated that the agonizing reminiscence, desires, or delirium is not endorsed or authorized into realization or perception. Subsequently, it is introverted although it stays active in the insentient and further endeavours for appearance. In addition, it unearths figurative appearance in the indication or warning signs (Hankin and Abela, 2005). Shortly, Freud discovered the fact that divergence and concession elucidations in the internal psychosomatic progressions of human beings does not only recline or rest in the realm of pathology. He realized that dreams, which are considered a common occurrence among human beings posses an organization comparable to that of neurotic warning signs. He also realized that authoritarianism as well as concession elucidations are ingredients or components of individual character and progression. Through the incorporation of preliminary and straightforward use of hypnosis, Freud progressively established and expanded the psychoanalytic modus operandi of gratuitous association. (Hankin and Abela, 2005). It is important to posit that this legitimized him to investigate self-consciousness and reserved opinions and sentiments, the rationale behind their authoritarianism and the assortment of psychological methods to mitigate their effects. Winnicotts concept Winnicott (1960) focused on the theory of the parent-infant relationship. This theory combines both issues off early life in the development of a child and psychoanalysis. This theory is a postulation of voyage of a child from total reliance, all the way through comparative reliance, to autonomy. This theory also focuses on motherly care on the other hand. To understand Winnicotts concept therefore, it is of significance to focus on psychoanalysis and early childhood. All suffering or pain in psychoanalysis is considered within the control of human beings. In other words, this happens through managing and directing ones character or personality. Transformation in psychoanalysis happens immediately the pain or suffering goes through the logical substance of an individual. Other options are established through outcropping. Likewise, dynamics that contributes to contentment are construed according to human beings adoration. During the early stages of child development on the other hand, everything that takes place within the childs life is normally outside their scope. According to Winnicott, during the early stage of child development, there is the congregation of peripheral features into the locale of the childs development of self control or influence. Winnicott also asserts that the character or personality sustenance portrayed within motherly affection allows and facilitates the child to subsist and grow regardless of the fact that s/he is unable to manage, organize, rule, and differentiate between good and bad. The irony of this theory is the fact that both the good and the bad in a childs life is considered a projection. However, the good and the bad are significant in the childs life for normal growth and progression (Winnicott, 1960). As mentioned above in this paper, early childhood is the period or stage of personality or character growth and development. This happens through assimilation and integration. The id is assimilated into the childs personality. This however does not happen in cases of ill health. For instance when the child is suffering from schizophrenia, the id is not assimilated into the childs character or personality. It lingers superficially and its fulfilment remains physical. A child gains the ability to learn and the id gets assimilated into personality is attributed to motherly affection. During motherly care, the mothers personality realizes and executes the childs personality or character and in doing so formulates it into being potent and secure. Later on during the later stages of the childs development, the childs personality is detached from that of the mother and subsequently the child attains psychological disconnection from the mother (Baradon, Broughton and Gibbs, 2005). During the early stages of development of psychoanalytic ideas, the id of the child or infant and character were considered the initial methods of justification. The id is also considered as one of the earliest discoveries in psychoanalysis. In discovering this, Freud believed that personality or character is categorized in respect to apprehension resulting from intuition, worry, or even failure. As intuited by Winnicott (1960), instruments of personality in psychoanalysis fit in the notion of an autonomous child. These ideas were formulated by Freud and later elucidated by a theorist by the name Melanie Klein. Kleins research focused and laid a lot of emphasis on the interaction between primordial concerns and safety methods. A lot of attention was laid on formative years of childhood as well as the significance of belligerent and disparaging whims profoundly entrenched than those spontaneous to aggravation and associated with abhorrence and antagonism. It is also important to posit that Kleins research describes occurrences during the initial phase of child development. She asserted that the surrounding plays an imperative role at this phase of child development . The key term in Winnicotts concept is reliance. The personality of the child is dependent on whether the external surrounding is constructive or not. Winnicott (1960) assumes that every phase of growth in a child has a date to each and every child and these dates differ from one child to another. It is also true that these dates can never be incorporated in foretelling the definite growth of the child due to other aspects of growth such as motherly care. There is also what is referred to as innate potential in a child. This is mostly elucidated in respect to parental care and affection. According to Winnicott (1960), parental care is categorized into holding phase, mother and child living collectively phase, and father, mother, and child living collectively phase. The holding phase represents or signifies both the tangible clutching of the child and the totality of conditions preceding the living collectively phase. When the child lives collectively and mutually with either the mother or both the parents, this signifies object associations as well as the surfacing of the child from the situation or circumstance of amalgamation with the parent. The parent-infant relationship which is in this case referred to as Winnicotts concept is largely involved with the holding phase of child development and parental concern. It is also involved with the compound or intricate occurrences in the childs emotional progression in reference to the holding phase. There is a lot of growth and advancement that takes place during this holding phase. In this stage or echelon, personality or character revolutionizes from an impassive condition into a prearranged and controlled amalgamation. This follows that, the child acquires the ability to comprehend apprehension or concern connected to dissolution. At this echelon, dissolution becomes a fact that was absent prior to assimilation of personality. Therefore, the child maintains the capability to re-comprehend unassimilated conditions according to the prolongation of parental care (Winnicott, 1960). The consequence of this vigorous development is the child ends up being an entity or character. It is also at the holding echelon that additional courses of action are commenced or instigated. Some of these include the genesis of intellect and brainpower, as well as the establishment of the brain in a way separate from the conscious. This precedes other derivative procedures, figurative operations, and institution of a special intuitive substance. This structures and outlines the foundations for reveries and other existing associations. Simultaneously, there is a commencement of linkages of two sources of impetuous manners of conduct. There is linkage and diffusion of the fundamentals or basics of movement with the arousing performance of the parts of the body with heightened sensitivity and stimulation. It is important to elucidate the fact that these advancements are components of the ecological state of holding. It is also true that these developments can never be accomplished in the absence of a normal and healthy holding phase (Winnicott, 1960). Another phase off the parent-infant relationship is the dependence phase. In this phase or echelon, the child is considered to be completely self-reliant. Dependence phase is further categorized into complete reliance, comparative reliance, and the period just before reliance. In complete reliance, the child has no power over parental care. Therefore, the child can only benefit from the parental care or otherwise experience interruptions. If for instance the parent is incapable of acclimatizing or becoming accustomed to the requirements of the child, the child has to conform and submit impulsively to the desires of the mother or parent in that case. In comparative reliance, the child starts to be conscious of the element or facets of parental care and can subsequently recount these elements to own desires or whims. Studies conducted over the past have shown that the child at this stage can replicate or imitate these elements during psychoanalysis. The period just before self-reliance, the child build up recollections and hence establishes and implements his or her own methods of functioning or performing devoid of parental care (MacKenzie and University of Michigan, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion, psychoanalysis is defined as a discipline that was developed by a theorist by the name Sigmund Freud. It highlights and emphasizes the influence or ability of the insentient state of mind on the manners of human beings conduct. Based on his medical research, Freud argued that incidences, events, or happening during childhood or infancy and insentient desires or whims append on the growth and advancement of disposition, persona, and manners of conduct in later life. Erik Erikson and Jacques Lacan later expounded and elucidated on Freuds ideas. It is argued that psychoanalysis started when Freud discovered that signs or indications have a connotation or consequence. This discovery gave rise to the advancement of the unconscious process, totalitarianism, and allegory. On the basis of these result, Freud delineated these facts and further hypothesized that the excruciating recollection, needs, or disorientation is not endorsed into consciousness. An example of a psychoanalytic idea is the Winnicotts concept, otherwise referred to as parent-infant relationship. This concept investigate the manners in which individuals develop and advance through reliance and trusting another individual. Parental care is categorized into holding phase, mother and child living collectively phase, and father, mother, and child living collectively phase. Healthy development occurs when the mother wholly adapts to the requirements and desires of the child. It is important to also assert that the surroundings or the environment in general plays a vital role in this development. During the dependence phase, the child goes through three stages of dependence. These stages include complete reliance, comparative reliance, and the period just before self-reliance. References Baradon, T., Broughton, C., & Gibbs, I. (2005). The Practice of Psychoanalytic Parent-Infant Psychotherapy: Claiming the Baby. Oxford, UK: Taylor & Francis Publishers. Gabbard, G. O., Litowitz, B. E., & Williams, P. (2011). Textbook of Psychoanalysis. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Hankin, B, L., & Abela, J. R. (2005). Development of Psychopathology: A Vulnerability- Stress Perspective. London, UK: Sage Publication. MacKenzie, M. J., & University of Michigan. (2006). Parent-infant relationship disturbances and child maltreatment in the early years: The Impact of risk and stress on parental perceptions and behaviour. Ann Arbor, USA: University of Michigan. Pozzi, M E., & Tydeman, B. (2007). Innovations in Parent-infant Psychotherapy: International Contributions. London, UK: Karnac Books Ltd. Winnicott, D. W. (1960). The Theory of the Parent-Infant Relationship: The International Journal of Psychoanalysis. Retrieved from http://icpla.edu/wp- content/uploads/2013/09/Winnicott-D.-The-Theory-of-the- Parent-Infant-Relationship-IJPA-Vol.-41-pps.-585-595.pdf Read More