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What were Freud's treatments?
Psychoanalysis is commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. In psychoanalysis (therapy) Freud would have a patient lie on a couch to relax, and he would sit behind them taking notes while they told him about their dreams and childhood memories.
What is Sigmund Freud best known for?
Freud is famous for inventing and developing the technique of psychoanalysis; for articulating the psychoanalytic theory of motivation, mental illness, and the structure of the subconscious; and for influencing scientific and popular conceptions of human nature by positing that both normal and abnormal thought and ...
What was Sigmund Freud's most important discovery?
One of his most enduring ideas is the concept of the unconscious mind, which is a reservoir of thoughts, memories, and emotions that lie outside the awareness of the conscious mind. He also proposed that personality was made up of three key elements, the id, the ego, and the superego.
What is psychoanalysis therapy used to treat?
Psychoanalytic therapy is a form of in-depth talk therapy that aims to bring unconscious or deeply buried thoughts and feelings to the conscious mind so that repressed experiences and emotions, often from childhood, can be brought to the surface and examined.
What was Freud's greatest contribution to psychology?
One of Freud's most important contributions to the field of psychology was the development of the theory and practice of psychoanalysis. Some of the major tenets of psychoanalysis include the significance of the unconscious, early sexual development, repression, dreams, death and life drives, and transference.
What was Freud's theory?
Freudian theory postulates that adult personality is made up of three aspects: (1) the id, operating on the pleasure principle generally within the unconscious; (2) the ego, operating on the reality principle within the conscious realm; and (3) the superego, operating on the morality principle at all levels of ...
How did Sigmund Freud develop the theory of psychotherapy?
Out of these experiments in hypnosis, and in collaboration with his colleague Josef Breuer, Freud developed a new kind of psychological treatment based on the patient talking about whatever came to mind – memories, dreams, thoughts, emotions – and then analysing that information in order to relieve the patient's ...
What was Sigmund Freud's theory of the unconscious?
In Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the unconscious mind is defined as a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of conscious awareness.
Is psychoanalysis used to treat depression?
Key practitioner message: Psychoanalytic therapy is an effective treatment for major depression, especially in the long run. The differential effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy cannot be fully explained by its higher dose.
How did Freud view mental illness?
According to Freud's theory, mental illness arises when the ego is incapable of maintaining control of the id and superego, when their impulses are too strong. Freud believed this imbalance was often caused by early childhood trauma.
How does psychoanalysis treat depression?
The psychoanalyst uses talk therapy to explore thought patterns, reactions, and feelings. Once the unconscious mental material is brought forward in discussion, you will have better control over your emotions and behaviors.
Where was Sigmund Freud educated?
After graduating (1873) from secondary school in Vienna, Sigmund Freud entered the medical school of the University of Vienna, concentrating on phy...
What did Sigmund Freud die of?
Sigmund Freud died of a lethal dose of morphine administered at his request by his friend and physician Max Schur. Freud had been suffering agonizi...
What did Sigmund Freud write?
Sigmund Freud’s voluminous writings included The Interpretation of Dreams (1899/1900), The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1904), Totem and Taboo...
Why is Sigmund Freud famous?
Freud is famous for inventing and developing the technique of psychoanalysis; for articulating the psychoanalytic theory of motivation, mental illn...
What is Freud famous for?
Freud is famous for inventing and developing the technique of psychoanalysis; for articulating the psychoanalytic theory of motivation, mental illness, and the structure of the subconscious; and for influencing scientific and popular conceptions of human nature by positing that both normal and abnormal thought and behaviour are guided by irrational and largely hidden forces.
What did Freud do in 1885?
In 1885 Freud was appointed lecturer in neuropathology, having concluded important research on the brain ’s medulla. At this time he also developed an interest in the pharmaceutical benefits of cocaine, which he pursued for several years.
How did Sigmund Freud die?
Sigmund Freud died of a lethal dose of morphine administered at his request by his friend and physician Max Schur. Freud had been suffering agonizing pain caused by an inoperable cancerous tumour in his eye socket and cheek. The cancer had begun as a lesion in his mouth that he discovered in 1923.
Where did Freud live in 1859?
In 1859 the Freud family was compelled for economic reasons to move to Leipzig and then a year after to Vienna, where Freud remained until the Nazi annexation of Austria 78 years later.
Where did Freud study neuropathology?
In late 1885 Freud left Vienna to continue his studies of neuropathology at the Salpêtrière clinic in Paris, where he worked under the guidance of Jean-Martin Charcot. His 19 weeks in the French capital proved a turning point in his career, for Charcot’s work with patients classified as “ hysterics ” introduced Freud to the possibility that psychological disorders might have their source in the mind rather than the brain. Charcot’s demonstration of a link between hysterical symptoms, such as paralysis of a limb, and hypnotic suggestion implied the power of mental states rather than nerves in the etiology of disease. Although Freud was soon to abandon his faith in hypnosis, he returned to Vienna in February 1886 with the seed of his revolutionary psychological method implanted.
What was Freud's scientific training?
Freud’s scientific training remained of cardinal importance in his work, or at least in his own conception of it. In such writings as his “Entwurf einer Psychologie” (written 1895, published 1950; “Project for a Scientific Psychology”) he affirmed his intention to find a physiological and materialist basis for his theories of the psyche. Here a mechanistic neurophysiological model vied with a more organismic, phylogenetic one in ways that demonstrate Freud’s complicated debt to the science of his day.
Where did Freud go to medical school?
After graduating (1873) from secondary school in Vienna, Sigmund Freud entered the medical school of the University of Vienna, concentrating on physiology and neurology; he obtained a medical degree in 1881. He trained (1882–85) as a clinical assistant at the General Hospital in Vienna and studied (1885–86) in Paris under neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot.
What did Freud's patients do?
These patients helped shape his theories and many have become well known in their own right. Some of these individuals included.
Where did Freud practice psychoanalysis?
He went on to earn a medical degree and began practice as a doctor in Vienna, Austria. It was while treating patients that he developed his famous theories of the id, ego, and superego, the libido, the life and death instincts, and psychoanalysis. Famous Quotes From Sigmund Freud on Psychoanalytics.
What is the most influential thinker of the twentieth century?
Psychology's most famous figure is also one of the most influential and controversial thinkers of the twentieth century. Sigmund Freud's theories and work helped shape our views of childhood, personality, memory, sexuality, and therapy. Other major thinkers have contributed work that grew out of Freud's legacy, ...
Why was Freud criticized?
Both during his life and after, Freud was criticized for his views of women, femininity, and female sexuality. One of his most famous critics was another psychologist named Karen Horney, who rejected his view that women suffered from "penis envy.". She instead argued that men experience "womb envy" and are left with feelings ...
How to understand Freud's legacy?
In order to understand his legacy, it is important to begin with a look at his life. His experiences informed many of his theories, so learning more about his life and the times he lived in can lead to a deeper understanding of where his theories came from.
What are Freud's theories?
Freud's theories were enormously influential , but subject to considerable criticism both now and during his own life. However, his ideas have become interwoven into the fabric of our culture, with terms such as " Freudian slip ," "repression," and "denial" appearing regularly in everyday language.
How did Freud's ideas impact psychology?
Freud's ideas had such a strong impact on psychology that an entire school of thought emerged from his work. While it was eventually replaced by behaviorism, psychoanalysis had a lasting impact on both psychology and psychotherapy.
What did Freud do after completing his medical degree?
After completing his medical degree in 1881, Freud began a three-year internship at a Vienna hospital, while continuing to work at the university on research projects.
Where did Freud work?
Freud eventually found a position at a private children's hospital in Vienna. In addition to studying childhood diseases, he developed a special interest in patients with mental and emotional disorders.
What did Freud do in his college years?
Freud changed his first name to Sigmund in 1878. Early in his college years, Freud decided to pursue medicine, although he didn't envision himself caring for patients in a traditional sense. He was fascinated by bacteriology, the new branch of science whose focus was the study of organisms and the diseases they caused.
How did Freud use hypnosis?
Freud used hypnosis with these patients and encouraged them to talk about past events in their lives. He dutifully wrote down all that he learned from them -- traumatic memories, as well as their dreams and fantasies.
How long did Freud's engagement last?
The two were immediately attracted to one another and became engaged within months of meeting. The engagement lasted four years , as Freud (still living in his parents' home) worked to make enough money to be able to marry and support Martha.
What is the famous quote from Freud?
Also Known As: Sigismund Schlomo Freud (born as); "Father of Psychoanalysis". Famous Quote: "The ego is not master in its own house.".
When did Freud open his private practice?
Private Practice and "Anna O". Returning to Vienna in February 1886, Freud opened a private practice as a specialist in the treatment of "nervous diseases.". As his practice grew, he finally earned enough money to marry Martha Bernays in September 1886.
What is the study used by Sigmund Freud?
This interior view of the study used by Sigmund Freud shows the famous couch. Authenticated News/Getty Images. Freud is famed for developing psychoanalysis. This therapy involves treating mental disorders by delving into a person's possible unconscious issues (e.g., repressed fears and conflicts) through techniques like dream interpretation ...
How did Freud find the cure for talking?
After learning about Anna O., Freud tried the talking cure in his own private practice, but found patients would talk pretty freely to him without hypnosis, provided they were in a relaxed position — specifically, lying down on a couch — and if they were encouraged to say whatever came into their heads, a process known as free association. Once a patient talked at length, Freud could analyze what the person said to figure out what past traumas were likely causing the patient's current distress.
Why did Freud think mental health issues stem from repressed thoughts?
After much study and use of the talking cure, Freud decided that mental health issues usually stemmed from repressed thoughts, often of a sexual nature. These could be forbidden sexual urges or due to sexual traumas that were experienced in childhood.
What did Breuer discover about Anna?
Breuer had discovered that if he hypnotized Anna, she'd reveal all sorts of information she didn't recall when she was conscious — and her symptoms would lessen afterward. This psychoanalytic treatment became dubbed the talking cure [sources: PBS, Grayling ]. Advertisement.
What is the purpose of talking cure?
By employing the talking cure, or psychoanalysis, a therapist can help a patient dig into the destructive, hurtful issues in their unconscious minds, after which point they can deal with them.
Is psychoanalysis effective for depression?
But it's not typically used for, say, someone who has temporary anxiety or depression that stems from a specific, identifiable trauma, such as the loss of a child. Nevertheless, studies have shown that psychoanalysis, as practiced today, is effective [source: Schedler ].
Is psychoanalysis still used today?
Psychoanalysis is still in use today, but not widely practiced by therapists (only about 1 in 20,000 Americans use it) [source: Dvorsky ]. It can be helpful for those who have longstanding problems they haven't been able to resolve, such as feelings of inferiority that have lingered since childhood.
Who is Sigmund Freud?
Sigmund Freud ( / frɔɪd / FROYD; German: [ˈziːk.mʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt]; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.
What was Freud's diagnosis of cancer?
In February 1923, Freud detected a leukoplakia, a benign growth associated with heavy smoking, on his mouth. He initially kept this secret, but in April 1923 he informed Ernest Jones, telling him that the growth had been removed. Freud consulted the dermatologist Maximilian Steiner, who advised him to quit smoking but lied about the growth's seriousness, minimizing its importance. Freud later saw Felix Deutsch, who saw that the growth was cancerous; he identified it to Freud using the euphemism "a bad leukoplakia" instead of the technical diagnosis epithelioma. Deutsch advised Freud to stop smoking and have the growth excised. Freud was treated by Marcus Hajek, a rhinologist whose competence he had previously questioned. Hajek performed an unnecessary cosmetic surgery in his clinic's outpatient department. Freud bled during and after the operation, and may narrowly have escaped death. Freud subsequently saw Deutsch again. Deutsch saw that further surgery would be required, but did not tell Freud he had cancer because he was worried that Freud might wish to commit suicide.
Why did Freud have Fliess perform surgery on his nose?
Freud had Fliess repeatedly operate on his nose and sinuses to treat "nasal reflex neurosis", and subsequently referred his patient Emma Eckstein to him. According to Freud, her history of symptoms included severe leg pains with consequent restricted mobility, as well as stomach and menstrual pains. These pains were, according to Fliess's theories, caused by habitual masturbation which, as the tissue of the nose and genitalia were linked, was curable by removal of part of the middle turbinate. Fliess's surgery proved disastrous, resulting in profuse, recurrent nasal bleeding; he had left a half-metre of gauze in Eckstein's nasal cavity whose subsequent removal left her permanently disfigured. At first, though aware of Fliess's culpability and regarding the remedial surgery in horror, Freud could bring himself only to intimate delicately in his correspondence with Fliess the nature of his disastrous role, and in subsequent letters maintained a tactful silence on the matter or else returned to the face-saving topic of Eckstein's hysteria. Freud ultimately, in light of Eckstein's history of adolescent self-cutting and irregular nasal (and menstrual) bleeding, concluded that Fliess was "completely without blame", as Eckstein's post-operative haemorrhages were hysterical "wish-bleedings" linked to "an old wish to be loved in her illness" and triggered as a means of "rearousing [Freud's] affection". Eckstein nonetheless continued her analysis with Freud. She was restored to full mobility and went on to practice psychoanalysis herself.
How did Freud use hypnosis?
Once he had set up in private practice back in Vienna in 1886, Freud began using hypnosis in his clinical work. He adopted the approach of his friend and collaborator, Josef Breuer, in a type of hypnosis that was different from the French methods he had studied, in that it did not use suggestion. The treatment of one particular patient of Breuer's proved to be transformative for Freud's clinical practice. Described as Anna O., she was invited to talk about her symptoms while under hypnosis (she would coin the phrase " talking cure " for her treatment). In the course of talking in this way, her symptoms became reduced in severity as she retrieved memories of traumatic incidents associated with their onset.
How many children did Jakob Freud have?
Jakob Freud took his wife and two children (Freud's sister, Anna, was born in 1858; a brother, Julius born in 1857, had died in infancy) firstly to Leipzig and then in 1860 to Vienna where four sisters and a brother were born: Rosa (b. 1860), Marie (b. 1861), Adolfine (b. 1862), Paula (b. 1864), Alexander (b. 1866).
What is Freud's theory of libido?
Freud postulated the existence of libido, sexualised energy with which mental processes and structures are invested and which generates erotic attachments, and a death drive, the source of compulsive repetition, hate, aggression, and neurotic guilt.
When did Freud publish his interpretation of dreams?
In 1899 he published The Interpretation of Dreams in which, following a critical review of existing theory, Freud gives detailed interpretations of his own and his patients' dreams in terms of wish-fulfillments made subject to the repression and censorship of the "dream-work".
Who Was Sigmund Freud?
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who developed psychoanalysis, a method through which an analyst unpacks unconscious conflicts based on the free associations, dreams and fantasies of the patient. His theories on child sexuality, libido and the ego, among other topics, were some of the most influential academic concepts of the 20th century.
What did Freud do after he graduated?
After graduation, Freud promptly set up a private practice and began treating various psychological disorders.
Why did Breuer and Freud end their relationship?
After much work together, Breuer ended the relationship, feeling that Freud placed too much emphasis on the sexual origins of a patient's neuroses and was completely unwilling to consider other viewpoints. Meanwhile, Freud continued to refine his own argument.
What is Freud's belief in libido?
Psychic energy: Freud postulated that the id was the basic source of psychic energy or the force that drives all mental processes. In particular, he believed that libido, or sexual urges, was a psychic energy that drives all human actions; the libido was countered by Thanatos, the death instinct that drives destructive behavior.
Why did Freud believe that people dream?
Dream analysis: In his book The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud believed that people dreamed for a reason: to cope with problems the mind is struggling with subconsciously and can’t deal with consciously.
How did Freud think dreams were fueled?
Dreams were fueled by a person’s wishes. Freud believed that by analyzing our dreams and memories, we can understand them, which can subconsciously influence our current behavior and feelings. Freud’s theories were no doubt influenced by other scientific discoveries of his day.
How many children did Freud have?
In 1882, Freud became engaged to marry Martha Bernays. The couple had six children — the youngest of whom, Anna Freud, went on to become a distinguished psychoanalyst herself.
How did Freud understand the nature and variety of these illnesses?
Freud sought to understand the nature and variety of these illnesses by retracing the sexual history of his patients. This was not primarily an investigation of sexual experiences as such. Far more important were the patient’s wishes and desires, their experience of love, hate, shame, guilt and fear – and how they handled these powerful emotions.
What was Freud's life work?
Freud's life work was dominated by his attempts to find ways of penetrating this often subtle and elaborate camouflage that obscures the hidden structure and processes of personality. His lexicon has become embedded within the vocabulary of Western society.
What did Sigmund Freud believe about psychology?
Freud believed that events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality.
What did Freud describe in his model of the mind?
Freud (1900, 1905) developed a topographical model of the mind, whereby he described the features of the mind’s structure and function. Freud used the analogy of an iceberg to describe the three levels of the mind.
What did Freud believe about childhood?
Freud believed that events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality. For example, anxiety originating from traumatic experiences in a person's past is hidden from consciousness, and may cause problems during adulthood (in the form of neuroses). Article Content.
How many levels of the mind did Freud propose?
This theory emerged “bit by bit” as a result of Freud’s clinical investigations, and it led him to propose that there were at least three levels of the mind.
Did Freud study himself?
He mostly studied himself, his patients and only one child (e.g., Little Hans ). The main problem here is that the case studies are based on studying one person in detail, and with reference to Freud, the individuals in question are most often middle-aged women from Vienna (i.e., his patients).
Who did Freud study with?
Freud's interest in what lay beyond conscious life and in hypnotism and hysteria led him to study with the famous neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot of the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.
What was Sigmund Freud interested in?
Like many doctors, writers, and philosophers working at the end of the nineteenth century, Freud grew increasingly interested in the unconscious. He took the unconscious to be a dimension of human life at once inaccessible and important as a source of thoughts and actions.
What did Freud think of unconscious behavior?
Like many doctors, writers, and philosophers working at the end of the nineteenth century, Freud grew increasingly interested in the unconscious. He took the unconscious to be a dimension of human life at once inaccessible and important as a source of thoughts and actions. In his efforts to decipher the meanings of hysterical symptoms and other neglected mental phenomena that seemed beyond conscious control (such as dreams and slips of the tongue), Freud moved further away from his neurological training. Committed to the idea that apparently meaningless behaviors actually expressed unconscious conflict, he developed techniques for determining what the behaviors might mean. This section -- divided into six parts -- introduces us to some of Freud's most famous patients and the key concepts with which he tried to make sense of their symptoms and their lives.
What did Freud study in Paris?
Neurology and Hypnosis. When Freud went to Paris in 1885 to study with Jean-Martin Charcot, the neurologist had already shifted his own focus from neuropathology to problems of hysteria, hypnotism, and suggestion. Charcot documented the stages of hysteria with photography.
Why did Freud move away from his neurological training?
In his efforts to decipher the meanings of hysterical symptoms and other neglected mental phenomena that seemed beyond conscious control (such as dreams and slips of the tongue), Freud moved further away from his neurological training.
What is Freud's theory of hysteria?
This joint publication of Freud's and Breuer's lays out their theory of hysteria, describing how the hysteric experiences the illness and sometimes overcomes it by gaining insight into how it came about. In the draft of "Architecture of Hysteria," Freud tries to sort through the relation of fantasies to accurate memories of traumatic events.
Why did Freud use interpretation?
For Freud, interpretation was necessary to give meaning to the apparently random thoughts of free association. Freud's focus was on reading the obscure language of the unconscious, and he developed techniques of interpretation in order to do so. In the cases of patients known as Rat Man and Wolf Man, he wove together elaborate stories, explanations, and speculations to make sense out of constellations of symptoms that seemed impossibly puzzling. These case histories, written for colleagues, read like detective novels in which the analyst deciphers the significance of symptoms as if they are clues.
What did Freud think of the mind?
Freud conceptualized the mind symbolically as an ancient ruin which had to been uncovered much like an archeologist would discover the treasures of an ancient civilization. This gave birth to Psychoanalysis. Freud’s account of the sexual genesis and nature of neuroses led him naturally to develop a clinical treatment for treating such disorders. This has become so influential today that when people speak of ‘psychoanalysis’ they frequently refer exclusively to the clinical treatment. The object of psychoanalytic treatment may be said to be a form of self-understanding, once this is acquired, it is largely up to the patient, in consultation with the analyst to determine how he shall handle this newly-acquired understanding of the unconscious forces which motivate him. Freud became more and more sophisticated in his technique of psychoanalysis, and he became particularly adept at using his patient’s biased impressions of him to help the patient to discover the origins of the unconscious memory which led to the symptoms from which they suffered.
How many volumes are there in Freud's work?
Freud’s work is preserved in a 23 volume set called “The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud”.
Was Freud's theory of psychoanalysis controversial?
Freud’s theories and research methods have always been controversial. He and psychoanalysis have been criticized in very extreme terms. For an often-quoted example, Peter Medawar, a Nobel Prize winning immunologist, said in 1975 that psychoanalysis is the “most stupendous intellectual confidence trick of the twentieth century”. However, Freud has had a tremendous impact on psychotherapy. Many psychotherapists follow Freud’s approach to an extent, even if they reject his theories.
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Freud's Life
- Psychoanalysis became a dominating school of thought during the early years of psychology and remains quite influential today. In addition to his influence on psychology, Freud's ideas have permeated popular culture and concepts such as denial, Freudian slips, the unconscious, wish f…
Key Theories
Freud and Psychoanalysis
Freud's Patients
Major Works by Freud
Freud's Perspectives
Psychologists Influenced by Freud
Contributions and Influence
A Word from Verywell
Childhood in Austria-Hungary
Attending University and Finding Love
Freud The Researcher
- In 1999, Time Magazine referred to Freud as one of the most important thinkers of the last century.5 Another article dubbed him "history's most debunked doctor."6 Perhaps Freud's most important contribution to the field of psychology was the development of talk therapy as an approach to treating mental health problems. In addition to serving as the...
Hysteria and Hypnosis
Private Practice and "Anna O"
The Unconscious
The Analyst's Couch
Self-Analysis and The Oedipus Complex
The Interpretation of Dreams
- Returning to Vienna in February 1886, Freud opened a private practice as a specialist in the treatment of "nervous diseases." As his practice grew, he finally earned enough money to marry Martha Bernays in September 1886. The couple moved into an apartment in a middle-class neighborhood in the heart of Vienna. Their first child, Mathilde, was born ...
Freud and Jung