Lauren's Father example essay topic

Case Study Freud developed the theory and practice of psycho-analysis. He established with his patients a relationship, which maximized information relevant to the interpretation of their behavior, and this enabled him to find explanations of dreams, symptoms, and many other phenomena not previously related to desire. In consequence he was able radically to extend our commonsense psychology of motive. On Freud's account the significance of everyday actions is determined by motives which are far more numerous and complex than people are aware, or than commonsense understanding takes into account.

The most basic and constant motives which influence our actions are unconscious, that is, difficult to acknowledge or avow. Such motives are residues of encounters with significant persons and situations from the past, often reaching back to early childhood; and they operate not to achieve realistic satisfaction, but rather to secure a form of pacification through representation. This understanding of the mind enabled Freud to give psychological accounts of neurosis and psychosis, and to explicate how the past gives significance to the present in normal mental functioning. Freud's hypotheses are described in PSYCHOANALYSIS, DOCTRINES. The case study that I'm presenting is an example of Freud's Case study of Anna O. Lauren a 22 year old young lady who spent a great deal of time nursing her sickly father.

Lauren began to develop a horrible cough that was not proven to be a physical problem. Later she developed some speech problems, became mute, and speaking only French rather than her usually English. When Lauren's father passed away on her 23rd birthday she began to refuse food, and developed an awkward set of problems. Lauren first lost the feeling in her hands and feet, developed some paralysis, and began to have involuntary spasms.

Lauren also experienced visual hallucinations. Specialists tried to find a problem, but found no physical problems. Lauren continued to have dramatic mood swings and even made several attempts of suicide. These symptoms that appeared were recognized as HYSTERIA (now called conversion disorder), which means symptoms that appear to be physical but really are not. Every evening Lauren would go into a state of "spontaneous hypnosis" what Lauren describe has the "clouds". In the "cloud" process Lauren discussed her daydreams and other experiences and after this "session" she would feel better.

Lauren would experience strong feelings of disgust at this time but her feeling would disappear when she remembered the root of her experience. From her it is determined that HYSTERIA is the result of a traumatic experience, one that cannot be integrated into the person's understanding. The emotions appropriate to trauma are not expressed in any direct fashion, but do not simply evaporate: They express themselves in behaviors in a weak, vague way offer a response to the trauma..