Stages of Psychoanalytic Theory:
I. Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Stages:
According to Freud, the sex drive is our most fundamental urge. You may concur with Freud that the sex drive lies at the heart of everything else if you think that, biologically speaking, the purpose of our lives is to pass on our genes. He described what he called the psychosexual stages as five phases of childhood and adolescent development.
In each of these phases, the body's sexual energy is focused on a distinct region, and satisfying the desires connected to those regions is very satisfying. These phases were designated by him as the genital, phallic, anal, oral, and latency stages. He thought that an adult's personality and character are shaped by how they handle satisfying their desires at each of these stages.
Stage
From birth to roughly 18 months of age, a child is in the oral stage. The mouth is the zone of pleasure. A baby who finds eating unpleasant may not make it through infancy. What is the first thing a 6-month-old baby is likely to do when given a toy?
Toy manufacturers advise against providing kids with toys with little bits that could choke them since they know kids will put everything in their mouths.
It was during the first three psychosexual stages of early childhood that Freud established the theory that a person can become "stuck" or focused. Later in life, the person will display traits from that period. For instance, someone who is stuck in the oral stage might wish to keep trying to satisfy his cravings for food by overindulging in food or smoking.
There are three years to three months in the anal stage. At this age, toilet training concerns take center stage as the pleasure center shifts to the anus. Even if it makes many of us cringe to see the anus as a place of pleasure, all it takes to see how hilarious it can be is to listen to young children's "poopy talk." At this age, a child's goal is to learn how to suppress his natural impulses to fit in with society's norms.
An adult who is obsessed at this point may become excessively controlled. To be extreme, everything needs to be in its proper place. On the other hand, someone could develop into an "anal explosive," making "messes" everywhere they walk.
Between the ages of three and six, there is the phallic stage. At this point, Freud thought that boys and girls pursued different routes, some of which have been quite contentious. First, let's examine the route for boys. A boy's penis becomes the center of his enjoyment. Many parents have to gently explain to their young son that when they are out in public, he cannot keep his hand in his pants.
Later on in this phase, the youngster experiences what Freud termed the Oedipus complex—named for the Greek mythological figure who married his mother and unintentionally killed his own father. The boy is enraged at his father for impeding the child's one and only desire to spend all of his love on his mother.
The situation for girls is far more nuanced and contentious, even among psychoanalytic therapists. According to Freud, girls experience penis envy during the phallic stage when they begin to believe that they previously had a penis and that it was severed. Similar complexes among girls, known as the Electra complex, involve their desire to marry their fathers and get rid of their moms.
Even in the early stages of the formation of psychoanalytic thought, there has been a strong opposition to Freud's idea of female development. According to female psychoanalysts, this theory of female growth has less to do with the girl's self-perception and more to do with the way a young boy sees girls.
Additionally, they have maintained that males and boys are equally envious of women's reproductive capacities as girls are of a boy's penis. Gloria Steinem, a feminist, mocked Freud's treatment of women by putting forth a psychoanalytic theory based on breast and womb jealousy rather than penis envy, which was created by a fictitious "Phyllis Freud."
Around the age of 12, as young adolescents enter the genital stage, this division of the sexes starts to shift. True sexual interest arises between peers at this moment, when sexual energy is concentrated on the genital area.
ii. Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages:
Numerous individuals who first collaborated and studied under Freud have gone on to make important contributions to the field of psychoanalytic theory. Among the most significant is Erik Homburger Erikson. Erikson gave greater attention to ego-related problems than id-related ones. The term "ego" refers to "I" or "self," and Erikson's main area of study was identity formation.
He provided an outline of several phases that correspond to problems that come up in the course of psychosocial development. Since these problems are not rooted in sexual drives but rather in social experiences that are typical of each developmental stage, Erikson proposes psychosocial stages. He thought that there is a primary conflict that needs to be addressed at every age, and how we settle that conflict establishes the foundation for future conflicts in the next stages of our development.
For instance, Erikson thought that while toddlers struggle to achieve autonomy, or a certain degree of independence from their parents, infants must learn to trust the environment around them.Modern Applications of Psychoanalytic Theory:
Even though psychoanalytic theory has generated controversy, its concepts continue to have a significant impact, especially when it comes to the study of developmental psychopathology—the study of how mental and emotional illnesses develop.
A lot of psychotherapists still base their treatment on the idea that present psychiatric symptoms are the result of inner conflicts from past life events, particularly early trauma. Concepts borrowed from psychoanalytic thought are also the foundation of many contemporary ideologies and therapeutic philosophies.
Conclusion
Compassion continues to be the driving force in the dynamic field of child psychoanalysis. Genuine empathy is necessary in addition to skill to fully comprehend the complexity of a child's mind. Let's keep in mind that each child is unique as we move forward, embracing technology advancements, cultural variety, and inclusivity. We can build a future where every child receives the emotional support they require to grow by fusing the knowledge of conventional psychoanalytic approaches with the innovations of the modern day.
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