Psychodynamic approach to Phobias
On the word of Sigmund Freud “Phobias act as a defence against the anxiety experienced when impulses formed by the id (the pleasure seeking part of the mind) are repressed, resulting in a displacement of repressed feelings on to the object/situation with which it is symbolically associated.” (Bennett 2003). Consequently these turn into phobic stimuli and the person can avoid dealing with these repressed conflicts by neglecting them. These unresolved conflicts frequently involve childhood trauma / conflict. For instance, an obsessive interest at the phallic phase can result in a fright of spiders as the spider may symbolize a fear of sexual organs. (Abraham 1927) Usually when given into unacceptable desires, we feel anxious. Phobics have no idea how they developed a phobia and this could possibly be a result of unconscious processes being involved. -Face validity.
Freud’s theory of phobias is based on his case study of Little Hans, a five year old boy who was afraid of horses and avoided going outside for the fear of getting bitten by horses. He also developed a fear of blinkers and muzzles on the horses’ …show more content…
Bowlby (1973) stated that phobias can be explained by his theory of ‘Attachment and separation’. Example, Agoraphobia is apparently related to a fear of losing someone with whom a person shares a close bond. (Most often the mother) However theories put forward in this field often differed from one another and lacked consistency. Example, Parker (1979) stated that being overprotected during one’s childhood correlated with developing social phobias later, conversely those with agoraphobia were said have grown up with parents who displayed a lack of affection. (Pamela 1996 cited in cited in Cardwell, Clark, Meldrum 2004:
On the word of Sigmund Freud “Phobias act as a defence against the anxiety experienced when impulses formed by the id (the pleasure seeking part of the mind) are repressed, resulting in a displacement of repressed feelings on to the object/situation with which it is symbolically associated.” (Bennett 2003). Consequently these turn into phobic stimuli and the person can avoid dealing with these repressed conflicts by neglecting them. These unresolved conflicts frequently involve childhood trauma / conflict. For instance, an obsessive interest at the phallic phase can result in a fright of spiders as the spider may symbolize a fear of sexual organs. (Abraham 1927) Usually when given into unacceptable desires, we feel anxious. Phobics have no idea how they developed a phobia and this could possibly be a result of unconscious processes being involved. -Face validity.
Freud’s theory of phobias is based on his case study of Little Hans, a five year old boy who was afraid of horses and avoided going outside for the fear of getting bitten by horses. He also developed a fear of blinkers and muzzles on the horses’ …show more content…
Bowlby (1973) stated that phobias can be explained by his theory of ‘Attachment and separation’. Example, Agoraphobia is apparently related to a fear of losing someone with whom a person shares a close bond. (Most often the mother) However theories put forward in this field often differed from one another and lacked consistency. Example, Parker (1979) stated that being overprotected during one’s childhood correlated with developing social phobias later, conversely those with agoraphobia were said have grown up with parents who displayed a lack of affection. (Pamela 1996 cited in cited in Cardwell, Clark, Meldrum 2004: