Psychoanalyst Primer - part 2

By creating psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939, I known as the "Father of Psychoanalysis" made it possible for man to set free the turbulent emotions that torment him, cause him to make costly mistakes and poor decisions and bring indescribable suffering to himself and others. Psychoanalysis has influenced the lives of millions in terms of the greater understanding it has brought to the rearing of children, to education and medicine, to law and criminology, to religion, sociology, literature and drama. Many human sciences have benefited, some to the point of complete revolution.

In the beginning Freud used hypnosis almost exclusively in treating his patients, but found himself disturbed that it did not work as well or give him lasting results as he desired. He developed and began using free association, whereby his patients would relate every thought that came to mind during their sessions. More and more it seemed to work.

Freud was famous for his work on Id/Ego, dream, Oedipus complex, narcissism, aggression and many other theories; the true leader of the field.

Alfred Adler, 1870-1937. Adler was the first of Sigmund Freud's rebellious disciples. He disagreed completely with Freud's ideas of "sexuality in neurosis" and instead believed that "inferiority and superiority" was the power that dominates man's behavior, and that almost everyone has problems with feelings of inferiority. These feelings would stem from such things as being "hated" or "pampered" as a child, or being a member of a minority group, or growing up in poverty or too much wealth, being spoiled or having a childhood physical defect. (including an imperfection of the body, fatness, albinism, bowlegs etc)

Adler is known, as he would often point out with pride, as the inventor of the "inferiority complex".

Sandor Ferenczi, 1873-1937, of Hungary, remained a loyal follower and close friend of Freud's. They often vacationed together

Ferenczi was known for his experiments in the technique of psychoanalysis, in addition to elaborating on many of Freud's theories, including the understanding of homosexuality. He tried innovations in an effort to discover what was best for each patient and offered a flexible schedule. It was Ferenczi who drove home the theory of counter-transference (in which the analyst's hidden feelings might be aroused by the patient)

He and Freud eventually ended that friendship, due largely to the time demands Ferenczi made on Freud.

Carl Jung: (1875-1971) Carl Jung was the second of Freud's fallen disciples. An independent thinker who was first quite taken with Freud's theories, and who was expected to be Freud's successor, increasingly followed his own path and by 1916 when he published the Psychology of the Unconscious he split from Freud's theories. He attacked Freud's theory of libido and reformulated it.

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