Human Psyche: Functioning according to Freud

George Alvarez 31-05-2023
George Alvarez

For centuries, scholars have been trying to decipher the enigmas of the human psyche For Freud's Psychoanalysis, for example, the psyche is complex, either by the division of its instances into:

  • aware;
  • preconscious;
  • and unconscious,

that is by the subdivision of the unconscious into:

  • Id;
  • ego;
  • and superego.

In addition, there are the phases of psychosexual development, which go from birth to adulthood, or the study of the self defense mechanisms Therefore, it is worth remembering that several studies have tried and are trying to explain this issue in a more effective way for society and for the individual.

After all, the functioning of this part is very important for the being, whether in the context of its inner world or in the context of its outer world.

The development and division of the human psyche

Many know that it is in childhood that human psyche This is because it suffers the influence of the family in the formation of the personality and also the action of the Oedipus complex in the structuring of the mind.

In this period, repressed and censored emotions and desires are stored in the human unconscious, as well as drives that are not so accessible to consciousness. Thus, they affect the behavior and feelings of this being.

As for the structures of the human psyche, they are divided into three major parts:

  • Psychosis - which is subdivided into schizophrenia, autism and paranoia

The psychotic would find outside himself everything that he excludes from within. In this sense, he puts out the elements that can be internal. The problem for this person is always in the other, in the external, but never in himself.

Another characteristic of psychosis is that, unlike individuals with other mental structures, the person himself reveals, albeit in a distorted way, his symptoms and disorders.

  • Neurosis - which is divided into obsessional neurosis and hysteria

The reason for the problem is kept secret. And not just from others, but from the individual himself who feels it. The neurotic keeps within himself the external problem. And that is what the repression or repression is about.

Everything that is painful is repressed and remains obscure, causing sufferings that the person can barely identify, only feel. Thus, by not being able to identify them, the person starts complaining about other things, about the symptoms he feels (and not about the cause).

  • Perversion - the specific defense mechanism of perversion is denial .

Freud says that many individuals who analyzed with him presented fetishes as something that would bring them pleasure, something even praiseworthy. These people never came to him to talk about this fetish, it appeared only as a subsidiary discovery. And this is how denial happens: the refusal to recognize a fact, a problem, a symptom, a pain.

And it is right in the childhood training based on Oedipus complex Once this structure is defined, there are no changes throughout the person's life.

Minimizing the effects of the problems of the human psyche

From this context, it is possible to conclude that all beings have problems in the mind. Depending on their degree and the amount of suffering caused by them, it is possible to classify them as pathological or not. Therefore, the greater the degree, the greater would be the sufferings Therefore, all this would lead one to seek a professional who treats these symptoms.

Focusing on this field and in an attempt to solve or diminish the effects of these structures of the mind, medicine has evolved and developed several theories and techniques in the neurological field. Psychoanalysis .

Psychoanalysis is a branch that uses, in a clinical way, the knowledge that comes from psychology. Therefore, it is a clinical field of theoretical investigation of the human psyche. Besides investigating the field of the mind, it also investigates the functions intellectual and emotional of man.

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The renowned precursor of Psychoanalysis

The first to address this new branch was Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis and the person responsible for the theoretical formulation of this new way of treating hysteria. His method of treatment consists of:

  • free associations of ideas;
  • interpretation of dreams;
  • analysis of the failed acts of the analyzed;
  • impersonal relationship between psychoanalyst and analyzed.

In the beginning of psychoanalysis, Freud sought to discover an effective treatment for patients with neurotic or hysterical symptoms.

To do so, Freud allied himself with Charcot He adopted his technique of hypnosis, that is, hypnotic suggestion, in his clinical treatments. And also Josef Breuer with which he concluded that the trigger that triggered the hysteria could also be from psychological origin In addition, he tried to find out what the patients did not remember about this event.

The disappearance of symptoms of the problems of the human psyche

Therefore, the alteration of the state of consciousness, the investigation between the connections, the patient's behavior and the inter-regulation with the presented symptom, combined with the doctor's suggestion, would make some things possible.

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As a consequence of Charcot and Breuer Freud adopted a new treatment for neurosis associated with hypnosis to facilitate access to the memories that cause traumas. It is possible to know the release of affections and emotions linked to past events and traumas through memories of the scenes experienced. Therefore, this made the symptom disappear.

Conclusion

As studies evolved, psychoanalytic sessions became less rigid, points in favor of the knowledge of human psyche .

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It is worth remembering that psychoanalysis is a profession recognized by the Ministry of Labor and by other public powers, among them the Federal Public Ministry and the Ministry of Health. Advances continue and changes will emerge over the years.

However, the main focus was, is, and will remain the same: to explain in an objective way how it works the human mind. Thus, it is possible to build a more balanced being and a better quality of life, individually and collectively. So, get to know more about our course.

Author: Tharcilla Matos for the Psychoanalysis Course .

George Alvarez

George Alvarez is a renowned psychoanalyst who has been practicing for over 20 years and is highly regarded in the field. He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted numerous workshops and training programs on psychoanalysis for professionals in the mental health industry. George is also an accomplished writer and has authored several books on psychoanalysis that have received critical acclaim. George Alvarez is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and has created a popular blog on Online Training Course in Psychoanalysis that is widely followed by mental health professionals and students around the world. His blog provides a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of psychoanalysis, from theory to practical applications. George is passionate about helping others and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of his clients and students.