A brief history of psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is defined as a series of psychological theories and therapeutic techniques, which originated from sigmund freud's works and theories. The core belief of psychoanalysis is that all people have unconscious thoughts, emotions, desires and memories.

By bringing unconscious content into the field of consciousness, people can vent and gain insight into their current psychological state. Through this process, people can find relief from psychological distress and pain.

1. People's behavior is influenced by unconscious drive.

2. The development of personality is greatly influenced by children's early experiences; Freud believed that when an individual reaches the age of five, his personality is basically stereotyped to a great extent.

3. Bringing information from unconsciousness into consciousness can bring catharsis, thus providing conditions for individuals to solve problems or some kind of complex.

People will use many self-defense mechanisms to protect themselves from some unconscious information.

Emotional and psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety, often stem from the conflict between consciousness and unconsciousness.

A mature psychoanalyst can help individuals bring some information from the unconscious to the conscious level by using various psychoanalytic strategies, such as dream analysis and free association.

Sigmund freud is the founder of psychoanalysis and psychodynamic school. This school emphasizes the influence of unconsciousness on behavior. Freud believed that the human mind consists of three parts: ID, ego and superego.

Although many people are skeptical about Freud's theory, his theory of stages of sexual psychological development, unconscious theory and symbolic meaning of dreams are still the objects that psychologists and psychology lovers are keen to study.

Many of Freud's observations and theories are based on clinical cases and case studies, which makes it difficult for his findings to be extended to a wider population. In any case, Freud's theory changed our views on human thought and behavior, and left a far-reaching impact on psychology and culture.

Another psychologist related to psychoanalysis is Eric Erickson. Eriksson, a student of Freud's daughter anna Floyd, further elaborated Freud's theory and emphasized the importance of psychological and social development in one's life. Eriksson's theory of personality psychology and stages of social development still affects our understanding of human development.

According to the American Psychoanalytic Association, psychoanalysis can help people understand themselves by exploring unconscious impulses that individuals fail to realize. So far, psychoanalysis includes not only psychoanalytic therapy, but also applied psychoanalysis (applying psychoanalytic principles to the study of environment and situation in art, literature and the real world) and neuropsychological analysis (applying neuroscience to psychoanalytic topics such as dreams and depression).

Although the traditional Freudian therapy has gradually declined, modern psychoanalytic therapy has actually begun to emphasize a non-judgmental empathy therapy-when visitors are exploring feelings, desires, memories and stressors that may lead to psychological pain, they can feel safe. Research also shows that the use of introspection in psychoanalysis contributes to long-term emotional growth.

1856- Born in sigmund freud.

? 1882-Josef Breuer described Anna's situation to Freud.

? 1886-Freud began to provide psychotherapy for the first time.

? 1895- Born in Anna Freud.

? 1900-sigmund freud published The Interpretation of Dreams.

? 1896-sigmund freud first put forward the term psychoanalysis.

? 1908—— The Vienna Psychoanalytic Society was established and the first international conference of psychoanalysts was held.

? 1909-Freud's first and only trip to America

? 19 10- the international psychoanalytic association was established.

? Jung parted ways with Freud and his psychoanalytic theory.

? 1938- Vienna Psychoanalytic Society dissolved.

? 1939- sigmund freud died of oral cancer in London.

Sigmund freud was the founder of psychoanalysis, but other theorists, including his daughter anna Floyd, also left important marks in the development and evolution of this field-such as Eric Erickson, Erich Fromm and carl jung.

In addition, there are some psychoanalysts, including karl abraham, otto rank, John Balbi, melanie klein, Karen Horney and sabina Shpiller Rehn, who can not be ignored in the formation of modern psychoanalysis and psychodynamic school.

Psychoanalysis also involves many different terms and concepts, which are related to consciousness, personality and treatment.

case study

The definition of case study is an in-depth study of a person, a group or an event. Freud's most famous case studies include the studies of Dora, Little Hans and Anna O, which have greatly influenced the development of his psychoanalytic theory.

In case studies, researchers will observe all aspects of personal life very carefully. Through careful study of individuals, researchers can deeply understand how these individuals' past experiences affect their current behaviors and choices.

Although researchers expect that the insights gained in case studies can be applied to other individuals, because case studies are often very subjective, their research results are usually extended to people other than visitors.

Consciousness and unconsciousness

Unconsciousness includes everything outside our consciousness-it may include early childhood memories, hidden desires and hidden driving forces. According to Freud's theory, the subconscious mind contains some unpleasant and even socially unacceptable things. Because these things may cause pain or conflict, they are buried in the unconscious.

Although these thoughts, memories and impulses may be outside our consciousness, they will continue to affect our way of thinking, acting and behaving. In some cases, things beyond our consciousness will affect our behavior in a negative way, thus causing psychological stress.

Consciousness includes all our explicit thoughts, feelings and memories, and its content is something we can be aware of, or we can easily perceive.

Id, ego and superego

Id: Freud believed that personality consists of three key factors. In the first part, we call it the id-the id contains all unconscious, basic and primitive impulses.

Ego: The second aspect of personality is called ego. This part of personality is mainly responsible for dealing with all kinds of requirements put forward by real life. It helps to control the impulse of the id and let us act in a realistic and acceptable way. The ego will force us to meet our needs in a socially acceptable and realistic way, instead of willfully indulging our desires and needs. In addition to controlling the id, the ego also helps us to strike a balance between primitive impulses, ideals and reality.

Superego: Superego is the last side of personality, which contains our ideals and values-the values and beliefs instilled in us by parents and society, which is the guiding force of superego, and it will try to make us act according to these moral norms.

Self-defense mechanism

Defense mechanism is a strategy used by the ego to protect itself from anxiety. As a protective tool, these defensive strategies can prevent unpleasant or painful aspects from entering the consciousness level. When something seems unacceptable or even inappropriate, the defense mechanism will help prevent them from entering consciousness, thus minimizing psychological pain.

Psychoanalysis gradually expanded its influence in the early 20th century, but it was not without criticism:

1. Freud's theory overemphasizes the subconscious, sexual desire, aggression and childhood experiences.

2. Many concepts put forward by psychoanalysts are difficult to measure and quantify.

3. Most of Freud's viewpoints are based on case studies and clinical observations, rather than empirical scientific research.

Despite constant criticism, psychoanalysis did play an important role in the development of psychology. It has influenced the way we treat mental health problems, and has had a lasting impact in the field of psychology until today:

1. Although most psychodynamic theories do not depend on experimental research, the methods and theories of psychoanalytic thinking promote the development of experimental psychology.

2. Many personality theories put forward by psychodynamic theorists still have repercussions, such as Erickson's theory of stages of psychological and social development and Freud's theory of stages of sexual psychological development.

3. Psychoanalysis opens a new perspective for mental illness, which shows that talk therapy is helpful to relieve psychological stress symptoms.

When people are asked how much they know about psychology, Freud's name is often the first choice for most people. There is no doubt that psychoanalysis, as a therapeutic method and theoretical viewpoint, has left its mark on psychology.

There are still a few people who hold a purely psychoanalytic view of human behavior. Now, most psychologists take a more eclectic approach in the field of psychology. In fact, many contemporary psychologists are skeptical about psychoanalysis. Some people even scoff at the Freudian school. In a psychological world dominated by cognitive process, neuroscience and biopsychology, is there any place for psychoanalysis?

The general decline of traditional psychoanalysis has long been seen in newspapers. A report published by the American Psychoanalytic Association found that psychology departments usually regard psychoanalysis as a historical product. 2

Why is psychoanalysis put on hold as an academic theme of psychology? Some people think that part of the problem lies in the failure of psychoanalysis to test the effectiveness of its treatment methods and the failure of early psychoanalysts to establish evidence-based disciplines in practice.

Some people think that psychoanalysis is not as effective as other treatments. Part of the reason why many people are so skeptical about psychoanalysis today is that the evidence supporting its effectiveness is often considered insufficient.

However, some studies on the effectiveness of psychoanalysis provide support for this treatment model. A meta-analysis found that psychoanalysis is as effective as other psychotherapy methods, and other studies have shown that psychoanalysis may be particularly effective in treating depression and panic disorder. .

In a review of the effectiveness of psychoanalysis, researcher and psychoanalyst Peter Fonagy suggested that psychodynamic therapy can effectively treat depression, eating disorders, physical disorders and some anxiety disorders.

Another problem is that psychoanalysis is usually a long course of treatment-it usually requires visitors to invest a lot of time, money and energy. We live in an era when most people expect to have curative effects within a few weeks or months.

Many of Freud's viewpoints have been excluded from modern psychological science, but this does not mean that his contribution is worthless.

His treatment method-mental illness can be treated, and discussing with professionals can bring relief-is a revolutionary concept, which has left a lasting mark on how to treat mental illness. The current research somewhat supports some of Freud's original views. "A recent review of the progress of neuroscience shows that many of Freud's personal observations, especially the universal influence of unconscious processes and the synergistic effect of emotions on thinking processes, have been confirmed in the laboratory," psychoanalyst Peter Fonagy once said in an article published in World Psychiatry.

It is also important to remember that sigmund freud's thoughts are only the product of his time. Although he is famous for his bold theory, his view of the world is influenced by his times.

Although psychoanalysis may be on the decline, it does not mean that the viewpoint of psychodynamics has died out, nor does it mean that it will disappear soon. Now psychologists pay attention to spiritual motivation rather than psychoanalytic perspective. Spiritual motivation refers to the internal motivation of our personality, and its ever-changing dynamic process constitutes most of the foundation of our observable behavior. Psychoanalysis is a narrower term, which refers to Freud's concept that to understand and treat abnormal behavior, our unconscious conflicts must be resolved.

So what can psychoanalysts do to ensure its vitality in the field of psychology? Fonagy believes that emphasizing science is the key, that is, we need to explore empirical research and evidence-based treatment more deeply. Fonagy also suggested that improving data collection methods, considering other possible behavioral explanations and actively cooperating with other mental health professionals can improve the recognition and applicability of psychoanalytic methods.

At present, some efforts to revive psychoanalysis mainly focus on some concepts of psychoanalysis, which are more based on empirical research (such as attachment theory) or connect Freud's unconscious concept with modern neuroscience.

Obviously, Freud's imprint on psychology can still be felt today. Talk therapy and psychoanalysis may be the best combination, but therapists often use this technology in a series of other treatments, including visitor-centered therapy and group therapy.

In any case, although psychoanalysis has gone forever and lost its former glory, Freud's views have had a lasting impact on popular culture and psychological science.

References:

Jeremy. Safian ... (20 14). Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy (Guo Benyu, Fang Hong? Chongqing: Chongqing University Press.

Cherie, K.(2020). ? The influence of psychoanalysis on psychology. ? Very clever.