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PSYCHOANALYSIS AS A THEORY AND A THERAPY

Sigmund Freud was a pioneer in the study of unconscious mental activity. His theories on the inner workings of the human mind are now accepted by most schools of psychological thought. In 1896, Freud created the term "psychoanalysis," and later he developed its main principles, objectives, techniques, and methodology of psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis focuses on the unconscious aspects of personality. According to Freud the human mind is like an iceberg. He believed that the conscious level of the mind was similar to the top of the iceberg which could be seen, but the unconscious was mysterious and was hid­den.

In An Outline of Psychoanalysis Freud explains the principles of the psychoanalytic theory. He begins with an explanation of the three parts of the psychic apparatus — the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is the unconscious part that contains the instincts. The ego has the quality of being conscious and is responsible for controlling the demands of the id. It serves as a link between the id and the external world. Finally, the superego, whose demands are managed by the id, is responsible for the limitation of satisfactions and represents the influence of others, such as parents, teachers, and role models, as well as the impact of racial, so­cietal, and cultural traditions.

As a therapy, psychoanalysis is based on the concept that individuals are unaware of the many factors that cause their behavior and emo­tions. These unconscious factors have the potential to produce unhap-piness, which is expressed through a number of symptoms such as diffi­culty in relating to others, or problems with self-esteem. The basic ob­jective of psychoanalysis is to remove neuroses and thereby cure pa­tients by returning the damaged ego to its normal state.

The method of psychoanalysis has several steps. First, analysts gather material from patient's free associations, dreams and slips of the tongue. Second, analysts begin to form hypotheses about what hap­pened to the patients in the past and what is happening to them in their daily life. If analysts reveal their conclusions to patients too soon, resis-tance due to repression will occur. Overcoming this resistance requires additional time and effort by both the analysts and the patients. Once patients accept the conclusions, they are cured.

The value of psychoanalysis as a theory and as a therapy has been questioned since the early 1900s. Critics dispute the value of the data upon which Freud based his theories; and the method and effectiveness of psychoanalytic treatment. However, we should not forget the revolutionary introduction of the unconscious aspects of personality in the discipline of psychology.