A repression in psychoanalysis is one of the central concepts of the field, and therefore of its clinical practice. That said, check out what repression is and how it manifests itself in our daily lives.

What is repression in psychoanalysis?

In psychoanalysis, repression is an unconscious psychic mechanism. In other words, it is something that the person removes from his consciousness thoughts or memory residues that are considered unacceptable and intolerable by the ego.

In this sense, this is one of the central theoretical themes. For, it is something that people experience when they go through painful situations. In view of this, when faced with a distressing experience, it must soon be removed. Thus, the superego is activated and begins to operate on such experiences.

Therefore, the goal is to modify, that is, to restructure in content and form, the actual context of the repressed memory of that experience.

Repression for Freud

Sigmund Freud developed the concept of repression as part of his psychoanalytic theory. So, according to him, repression occurs when a thought, memory, or feeling is too painful for an individual.

So the person unconsciously pushes the information out of consciousness, and thus becomes unaware of its existence.

Furthermore, the repressed thought can still affect behavior. However, the person who has repressed the thought is completely unaware of its existence or effect.

Here are some examples of repression in psychoanalysis

To better understand repression in psychology, here are some examples.

Child Abused by Parents

This child represses the memories and becomes unconscious of them in adulthood. In this way, repressed memories of abuse can affect that person's behavior, causing difficulty in relationships.

Person who suffers a spider bite

In childhood, a person who suffers a spider bite develops an intense phobia. However, he has no recollection of this unpleasant experience. Because the memory of the sting is repressed, the person may not understand the source of his phobia.

In short, Freudian slips, or parapraxia, by definition, can be considered examples of repression. In view of this, Sigmund Freud believed that errors in speech, memory, or physical reactions were the result of something hidden in the offender's unconscious.

How does repression work?

According to the classical theory of repression, it operates from childhood, especially with the development of psychosexuality. In this sense, repression is linked to the exclusion of incestuous and aggressive desires from the paternal figures, therefore, by means of morals, ideals and other social demands.

In this way, primordial repression acts by separating the self from sexual representations to ensure an adaptation to the environment.

Without this operation, incestuous and morally forbidden desires would be discharged in a delusional or perverse way. Thus, they cause behavior that is rejected by the social environment.

Furthermore, secondary repression acts as part of the representations lodged in the unconscious. Thus, they emerge in the coscience by means of:

• dreams;
• failed acts;
• painful memories;
• unpleasant fantasies.

Therefore, to be forgotten, they are censored by the superego.

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How does repression produce the unconscious?

As we have seen, repression expels from consciousness thoughts and desires that are not accepted by the Self, so these contents are directed to another field. Thus, everything that has been repressed goes to the unconscious.

In this way, the unconscious is the instance where the impulses dwell, that is, the primitive forces that seek immediate satisfaction In the beginning, the human being is born as a "cauldron of impulses".

However, as it grows and integrates into the symbolic and cultural plane, repressions act as the ego's normative function in the face of reality.In this way, repression is a fundamental mechanism. For, it separates the conscious system from the primitive contents associated with the sexual impulses of child life .

In this sense, it houses such representations in the unconscious system, thus allowing a homeostasis in the psychism. For, according to Freud, "what is repressed also persists in normal men and can develop psychic functions.

So, what are the repressed desires?

Thus, it is necessary to clarify that, for Freudian psychoanalysis, desires are psychic impulses that tend to satisfy the organism's needs. However, these impulses are linked to the set of representations and perceptions that at one time satisfied these needs.

Therefore, desires are unconscious and are part of our "psychic reality"; therefore, they determine how we treat things and the world in order to obtain satisfaction.

Furthermore, repressed desires are configured from the original fantasies of early childhood. For, this is the time when the representations that accompanied satisfactions were excluded. That is, through primary repression. Therefore, repressed desires are constituted mainly by:

• incestuous sexual desires and seductive fantasies;
• fantasy of envy and fusion;
• I wish the paternal rival would disappear;
• desires of destruction.

And what are the repressed feelings?

In this way, the feelings that accompany the repressed representations are strangled. Therefore, they cannot be adequately expressed, or discharged. From this perspective, feelings will not be able to access the symbolic plane, or circulate freely in consciousness.

On the other hand, the painful affection that accompanies repressed representations is an intuited condition, for it is experienced by consciousness and can be linked to other ideas. However, the images and teachings can pass into a state of anxiety.

In addition, they are also expressed by physical symptoms in the body, so they are related to psychosomatic affections.

In short, the strangled feelings can change into other representations. Still, they can generate significant discomforts in the person's life. For, it causes anguish or other behaviors, such as:

• conversion hysteria;
• obsessions;
• phobias;
• neuroses of failure;
• high demands of its own;
• feeling of excessive guilt.

A repression in Psychoanalysis contemporary

Contemporary psychologists often use repression to refer to repressed memories. In other words, the incidents in life that the person cannot remember. Thus, therapeutic tools, such as hypnosis, are used. However, repressed memory therapy is extremely controversial.

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In the late 1920s, many therapists used hypnosis to help people remember incidents of sexual abuse. As a result, in some cases, the abuse turned out never to have happened.

Therefore, many traditional psychologists now argue that repressed memories are very unusual. While some doctors argue that once a memory is lost, it cannot be recovered.

Final considerations on repression in Psychoanalysis

Now that you know what it is repression in psychoanalysis In this way, you will have access to Freud's theory and practice and other ideas of psychology, so don't waste any time and register right now!