Critical reflection papers - Essay Example

Critical reflection of Freud Sigmund According to Freud, events that occur in early childhood determine the way human beings behave. In his arguments, Freud believed unconscious drivers are necessary when determining a person’s behavior. He treated people with behavioral disorders by listening to their verbal talks. He believed the talks would help synthesize the problems affecting the patients. Freud referred to these disorders as ‘hysteria’, and they resulted from the patients’ unconscious (Freud 573).

The way people behave and act during childhood period is a determinant of their future lifestyle. According to Freud, there are development stages that each person passes through when growing up. All the stages that people go through entail factors such as relationships with parents, levels of desire, fear of losses such as loss of life, affection, and such (Freud 574-576). Freud’s works were the basis for the development of theories about the unconscious mind. Additionally, he developed ideas about the mechanism of repression.

These theories focus on treatment of behavioral disorders. Examples of these disorders include phobias, obsessions, anxiety, attacks, depressions, sexual dysfunctions, pain, shyness, work holism and compulsions. The best way to treat these disorders, according to Freud, is by verbal psychotherapy that involves psychoanalysis (Freud 581).Human beings only inherit personality. They do not inherit behavior and cognition. Cognition, experience, and human behavior are not natural. However, events during childhood play a big role in determining a person’s behavior.

Additionally, they are developed by irrational drives. Freud tried to expound on the idea of irrational drives but was not successful. Resistance met his efforts because people believed the irrational drives were merely unconscious (Freud 574-576).There are many situations where people experience conflicts between conscious view of reality and repressed material. According to Freud, this is the main reason for mental disturbances. When these conflicts occur in the mind, it results in neurosis, anxiety, and depression.

Therefore, the best way to treat such individuals is to enable them change the unconscious views into conscious views (Freud 574-576).The unconscious mind stores much information that is outside a person’s conscious mind. When a person thinks with his unconscious mind, he/she is inviting trouble. The effects of thinking with an unconscious mind include feelings of pain, anxiety, and conflict. The unconscious mind is the biggest determinant of people’s behavior and actions. The figure below explains what Freud thought about the unconscious mind of an individual.

Freud compared the unconscious mind to an iceberg. The conscious mind is above the water whereas the unconscious mind is submerged in the water as shown in the figure above.In many cases, people are unaware of their feelings, desires, and emotions. This is because the feelings, desires, and emotions are often threatening persons. People experience these hidden feelings through dreams and visions. The best way to bring out the hidden desires in the unconscious mind is through verbal communication.

When communicating with a patient, one should relax and say anything that comes out of their mind. The patients should not worry about how these thoughts can be irrelevant or embarrassing. In the end, the patient will be able to uncover the contents of the unconscious mind, where bad childhood memories or repressed desires existed (Freud 583-585). Work CitedFreud, Sigmund. "Chapter 14, Transitions & Revisions Summary & Analysis." Freud, Sigmund. The Freud Reader. London: W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition, 1989. 573-585. Print