Sigmund Freud and the Psychodynamic Perspective

Sigmund Freud and the Psycho ever-changing persuasionIntroductionThe origins of The Psychodynamic Perspective underside be traced to the advance(prenominal) start of Sigmund Freud. Using sub headings this essay will identify the main tenets of Freuds approach to the misgiving of adult male deportment his views on determinism his use of hypnosis as therapy his belief that human deportment is controlled by ramify yet interlinked layers of the mind ( apprised and unconscious) his views on sex and aggression and the importance he placed on receptive and unseen deviation involving the swelled head, the id, and the super self-importance (Cave 1999, p.31/2). The work will then explore how the perspective might be apply in a healthc be setting, and will assess inherent strengths and weaknesses.DeterminismDeterminism, the belief that e truly acres of affairs, including every human event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedent earths of affairs (GuruNet fo r details see References) greatly influenced Freud who sought to identify hidden causes for human behaviours. His theory is a dynamic process from the early eld of a humans feeling where the first inter effects with others affect the development of the genius, through to the adult historic period where the mortal learns and adopts brotherly values.HypnosisDuring his time in France, Freud observed the work of Jean Charcot whose useof hypnosis led to his induce and curing hysterical paralyses by means of directhyp nonic suggestion. (Gay 1998, p.49). Later work with Josef Breuer involved hypnosis where longanimouss rec onlyed traumatic experiences and expressed their emotions as a way to release the conflict within this was the cathartic method. Freud began to develop his judgement that emotionally disturbed patients had problems that were sexually orientated, and, as a development on his work in hypnosis he worked on the idea of free association. (Nye 1975, p.11). Instea d of sending patients into a trance using his voice, Freud altered the proficiency of hypnosis so that the patient independently drew forth words and feelings which might be analysed or explained by the analyst.Unconscious and Conscious activityFreud himself regarded the concept of the unconscious as fundagenial to psychoanalysis. It is what makes the psychoanalytic approach distinctive it is the defining characteristic of the Freudian perspective towards human action. (Bocock 2002, P.32)One of the fundamental beliefs behind Freuds work was indeed his distinctionbetween the unconscious, preconscious, and conscious areas of the human mind. He stipulated that the unconscious was the governing force where dreams, habits, thoughts and feelings go from. In order to investigate these phenomenon he used psychoanalysis as Nye phrases it in The Three Psychologies it is the place of psychoanalysis to unravel the mystery by seeking the sources of thoughts, feelings, and actions in hidden drives and conflicts. (1975, p.10). Through using this technique Freud aimed to identify the record of crucial communications occurring in early childhood which would affect adult behaviour. aspiration interpretation is another of Freuds infamous techniques occurring when a soulfulness is asleep and unguarded he claimed that this was an hazard forunconscious drives and desires to manifest themselves through symbolic images. Thewaking human mind however is conscious, meaning that it is sure of what isimmediate to it, and the preconscious is the aim between. As Nye summarises itthe unconscious consists of all aspects of our personalities of which we are unaware. The preconscious consists of that which is not immediately at the level of awarenessbut is fairly accessible. (1975, p.13).The idAs part of his instinct of human behaviour Freud identified the human personality as constituting three different structures the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is what the human child is born with instinct which contains base biological drives the id seeks immediate satisfaction of primitive impulses, and operates on the pleasure principle (Freud 1927, p.30), seeking to avoid pain and tap gratification. The instincts that a person is born with remain with them for life life energy and death energy, which exist stance by side, respectively concern the drive to survive (eat, drink, reproduce), and the primitive tendency to return to the inanimate state (Nye 1975, p.14) which has its origins in the prehistory of the world where life forms were unstable.Sex and AggressionIn proposing two mental entities our puppet selves, in the form of the id, and our social selves, the ego and super-ego, (Freud) directly addressed the transactionhip between biology and socialisation, and the dynamic between them. For Freud, being human was single(a) peoples endless duologue between the two. (Bland 2003). It is precisely such negotiation that causes the varieties and extremes of behaviour seen in human beings. As well as the life and death instincts, earth are driven by their sexual drive and their aggressive drive these being underlying causes of humanbehaviour. Freud make no distinction between what people might class as everyday feelings and sexual feelings. Because humans are animals they are driven toexperience primal urges and desires but simultaneously live in a nightclub wherestandards contain and condition human behaviour. Thus, this is where the conflict arises between the drives of the id and the learnt morality of the superego so that fretfulness, fear, and neuroses can all be traced to a basic incompatibility of the humaninstinct with the socialised world which has evolved more or less it.The nature of Freuds concept of aggression is that it is innate and thus a natural state. As one of the around powerful energies within the human mind aggression can cause serious damage mental and physical if it is not released in some way. Freuds claims that some of the innate destructive energy is never released and so a person harbours the death instinct which eventually overcomes the other drives resulting in death. (Nye 1975).Ultimately, the emotional life of a human being is destined to be a turbulent one powerful energies conflict and override each other, and it is the role of psychodynamic therapy to uncover and understand the layers and symbolism within the psyche. A further judgement of these complex processes may be achieved through examining Freuds concept of the ego and the nature of its functions.The EgoFreud suggested that the ego is a form of mediation between the urges of the id and the learnt morality in the super-ego, evolving as a person grows aged in order to help them cope with the world. As the ego develops so does the persons lore of reality, and a wider view is attained than simply the pleasures of subjective gratification. Freuds pleasure principle thus becomes replaced by the reality principle (S toodley 1959, p.169). The desires of the id cannot always be realised, so the ego causes humans to convert them into other modes of behaviournot only in cathartic sport activities but also in peoples careers. Understanding the work environment in the context of the Psychodynamic Perspective will be discussed later.Freud likens the ego to a a man on horseback, who has to hold in check the superior strength of the horse with this difference, that the passenger seeks to do so withhis own strength plot the ego uses borrowed forces. () Often a rider, if he is not to be parted from his horse, is obliged to guide it where it wants to go so in the sameway the ego constantly carries into action the wishes of the id as if they were its own. (Freud 1927, p.30).Freuds approach was radical for his time because he saw psychological science very often through the same eyes as he saw evolution as a process involving accumulative and transferable energy. Freud suggested that the energy levels in a person originating from the id and controlled, to an extent, by the ego (depending on circumstances) were affected by restrictions placed on that person by those around them. If these energies were not allowed to score an outlet then the person might suffer from anxiety. A strong ego will thus develop as the persons circumstances allow them to adjust to the real world while also going part of the way to satisfying the demands of the id.The SuperegoThe superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learnt from a persons parents and other influential figures, and develops as a result of rewards and punishments as the individual grows up. The superego provides the personality with a conscience a form of overview concerning right and wrong actions, which can cause a person to feel guilty. Freud termed the superegos internal standard of what a person should be as the ego-ideal. (Nye 1975, p.20). The superego is responsible for extremes of behaviour such as introve rt behaviour, whereit will concern the person with too many of societys rules, inhibiting the id and immobilizing the egos attempts to achieve satisfaction in the real world (Nye 1975, p.20). On the other hand it can also cause extrovert behaviour where the individual abandons the expected standards of society.Anxiety and refutal mechanismsWhen anxieties develop they can often be explained through the processes whichFreud termed anxiety or defence mechanisms. The problem is to do with thedesires of the id they can be controlled by the superego and directed by the ego, but they still remain as very strong inclinations within the psyche. A desire of the id to act in a particular way may be thought of as wrong or punishable and thus creates guilt and tension anxiety within the person. The impulse might be expressed in a disguised form that society does approve of for example becoming a racing car driver or boxer as an outlet for aggression. Other ways of coping with the presence of inner energies areRepressionThis is the phenomenon of forcing the uncomfortable desires, painful feelings and memories into the unconscious, only for them to affect our behaviour and mental states on a subliminal level, maybe emerging as Freudian slips or as symbolic imagery in nightmares. It is the job of the ego to try and prevent the bury thoughts from returning to the conscious mind.ProjectionThis occurs when someone assigns their own negative thoughts to another in order to disembarrass themselves of the feeling.DenialNegative aspects of a situation may be avoided if the ego simply does not bonk that they are there this may be conscious or unconscious.SublimationWhen forbidden impulses are channelled into socially refreshing behaviour or a socially beneficial situation for example, an aggressive man might hire to becomea martial arts teacher or a soldier. Alternatively, when a substitute action or transferof energy replaces the reaction to the person or object that original ly caused the upset it is called displacement.The Psychodynamic Perspective in a healthcare settingFreuds work has been influential not just in the field of psychology but also in conjunction with the sphere of mental health and social care. His group dynamics where he suggests that a group of people admit the same person a leader into their superego and identify with each other (Cave 1999, p.57) can help individuals to understand the sometimes complex relations between work colleagues. For example, when a new worker joins a team it takes time to become interconnected Freud would say that this was due to the personal home barrier (Cave 1999, p.58) not yet being broken. Once the person is accepted then the group directs hostility to others outside of it, the barrier changing to a group space barrier. More importantly an awareness of group processes can help inform, promote insight, change behaviour or alleviate suffering.(Cave 1999, p.50).Understanding the relationships between individuals within a group is crucial for healthcare professionals who work in hospitals and care homes. For example, it could be beneficial to understand what facilitates group cohesion when working with discussion/therapy groups. Alternatively, a patient who is afraid of group work maybe best understood in isolation Freuds psychoanalytic approach is commonly used in counselling and therapy for drug users, those who have been/are jest atd, and can bebeneficial to those suffering from obsessions and neurotic disorders.It is vital to have a good rapport and understanding between healthcare workers and patients to provide the best professional environment for recovery. Difficult situations often arise which acquire tact and discretion such as bereavement and can be understood in scathe of Freuds distinctions between the ego and the id and the conscious and unconscious mind. For example, an unusual pattern of behaviour (possibly anger or guilt) seen in a bereaved person might be attributed to adefence mechanism which is screen the hidden conflict or upset associated with the death.Critical evaluation of the Psychodynamic PerspectiveLike all psychological theories, Freuds is susceptible to heavy upbraiding because it is one of many perspectives all of which are formed by people trying to study other people making it difficult to attain complete objectivity. muleteers behaviourist theory criticises Freud for his belief that many guilt and anxiety complexes are sexually orientated (Nye 1975, p.52), and there is also conflict between Freudian theorists and those psychologists who view behaviour as controlled by outdoor(a) factors an example being the issue of suggestion in psychoanalysis and hypnosis. Take for instance, the case study of Dora (Cave 1975, p.37) whose abuse was suggested by Freud to be imagined, the consequence being that after counselling sessions with Freud she showed no signs of improvement.There is discrepancy roughly the meaning of dr eam symbols, and the outcome of hypnosis and psychoanalysis is often ambiguous and unreliable. Further problems occur when using hypnosis as therapy because the patient might not be properly under, and, as Freud himself found, they may even fall asleep.Nye notes that Freud used a restricted sample while developing his theory sothat it was not fully wagerative, and therefrom his ideas only have limited applicability. (1975, p.146). Freuds studies might also have been selectively chosento represent his ideas considering the complex nature of concepts such as the Oedipus complex it is unlikely that his findings were reliably consistent.As Webster says in criticism of Freud(He) made no substantial intellectual discoveries. He was the creator of a complex pseudo-science which should be recognised as one of the great follies of Western civilization. In creating his particular pseudo-science, Freud developed an autocratic, anti-empirical intellectual style which has contributed infinit ely to the intellectual ills of our own era. (Webster 1995, p.438)A large amount of Freudian theory is indeed based around hypothetical concepts such as the id and the ego, and is restricting in the sense that all behaviour can be traced back to some hidden primal source. Yet it is necessary to bear in mind that much of Freuds theory has found its way into everyday language such as the unconscious and conscious mind, the ego, etc, and this in itself suggests that the theory makes adequate sense to the human mind.Thus, we are left with a theory that is at the very least plausible but left very much unresolved to interpretation like many opposing theories evidence can be found for and against it, and it is left to the individual to determine whether or not the theory is acceptable to them.ReferencesBland. J., 2003, About Gender Freud, the Father of Psychoanalysis. Available from universal resource locator (http//www.gender.org.uk/about/01psanal/11_freud.htm).Bocock, R., 2002, Sigmu nd Freud. London Routledge.Cave, S., 1999, Therapeutic Approaches in Psychology. London Routledge.Gay, P., 1998. Freud A Life for Our Time. parvenu York Norton.GuruNet, online dictionary, available from universal resource locator (www.questia.com).Freud, S., 1927. The Ego and the Id. Contributors Joan Riviere transltr. London Hogarth press, and the Institute of psycho-analysis.Messer, D., and Meldrum, 1995, Psychology for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals. Prentice Hall London.Nye, R., 1975, The Three Psychologies, 3rd Ed. atomic number 20 Brooks.Stoodley, B., H., 1959, The Concepts of Sigmund Freud. Glencoe Free PressWebster, R., 1995, Available from URL(JavaScriptparent.bookWindow(../books/bookstz.html l WebsterR_1995)Background ReadingFine, R., D., 1962, Freud A Critical Re-Evaluation of His Theories. New York David Mckay.Jones, E., 1953, The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud The Formative Years and the Great Discoveries, 1856-1900. Volume 1. New York Basic Books.Levine, M., P ., 2000, The Analytic Freud doctrine and Psychoanalysis. London Routledge.Mansfield, N., 2000, Theories of the Self from Freud to Haraway. St. Leonards, N.S.W Allen Unwin.