Human behaviour and emotions are largely influenced by unconscious wishes. By bringing these unconscious wishes into consciousness, and listening to and analysing them, the analyst can, subsequently, help the patient solve his problems.

Understanding the Mind

The method of solving problems by psychoanalysis was pioneered by the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) at the end of the nineteenth century. Freud, often working with people who had nervous disorders, theorized that human behaviour and emotions are largely influenced by unconscious wishes. Emotional problems, he argued, originate during the developmental needs and frustrations of childhood. In most people these feelings remain at a subconscious level because they are linked with sexual longings that are frightening or shameful.

Freud described the mind as having three parts. The ego includes that part of the mind of which a person is generally conscious the part that perceives, remembers, and feels; the part that is used to figure out what to do today, tomorrow, and next week. The other two parts of the mind the superego and the id, Freud maintained, are largely unconscious. The superego includes parental, social, and moral injunctions, and tells people when they are good and when they are bad. When it is in conflict with something the individual has done or something he wants, the person might feel discomfort, shame, or anxiety. The id contains many desires, cravings, and wishes, and can be in indirect conflict with the superego. The ego acts as a referee between the desires of the id and the prohibitions of the superego. What the individual says and doesn’t say, does and does not do, are considered to be the product of this constant and unconscious process.

Psychoanalysts believe that problems experienced during childhood surface in adult life in the form of marital discord, overeating, alcohol dependence, and other such disorders. Psychoanalysis, unlike many other therapies, is not primarily concerned with the relief of such symptoms, but with gradually uncovering the underlying cause of that which is hidden in repressed memories. Unless the original conflict is revealed, psychoanalysts assert that the relief of one symptom, such as excessive drinking, will merely be replaced by another such as increased anxiety or overeating.

Problem-Solving in Psychoanalysis

The analytical approach to problem-solving involves certain fundamental methods by which the analyst attempts to help the individual to reach into his unconscious mind. In classical analysis, a person visits the analyst frequently, usually four or five times a week. At each session, which usually lasts between 45 and 50 minutes, the subject lies down on a couch, with the analyst sitting on one side or behind him, out of direct view. The subject is asked to relax and freely say whatever comes into his mind, without any inhibitions. These spontaneous associations are thought to initiate an unravelling process in the mind. Thus, the person’s most intimate memories and attitudes by which he has been influenced, begin to surface.

Repressed needs and conflicts are uncovered through the relationship between the subject and the analyst. On the whole, the analyst remains aloof, making interpretations designed to break through the individual’s resistance to recognising and dealing with buried emotions and memories. Gradually, in theory, the positive and negative feelings that the person has repressed, begin to manifest themselves in his developing relationship with the analyst. Through such a manifestation, commonly known as transference, the individual may feel emotions such as love, anger, and hate towards the analyst, which are considered to be the re-enactment of feelings he held earlier towards other important people in his life. By separating the reality of these feelings from their fantasy content, and by uncovering their antecedents, the analyst helps the person to separate real feelings from projected ones, the past from the present, and to integrate these emotions into his consciousness.

The interpretation of dreams is another method the analyst uses to delve into the unconscious, a method for which Freud is famous. Dream interpretation remains central to many types of psychoanalysis.

Now You Know

Formalised in the 19th century, psychoanalysis is a scientific examination of the mind to effect cures for problems. Generally free of any side-effects and using no drugs, psychoanalysis offers a long-term cure for mind-related chronic ailments. Methodical documentation is a must and helpful if other forms of treatment have to be incorporated.

Psychoanalysis believes that problems experienced during childhood surface in adult life in some form or other. It helps the patient to draw upon his past experiences and become consciously aware of them. Results are generally satisfactory even though treatment may take some time.