Many people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have difficulty remembering significant portions of the actual traumatic event, including important details just prior to and during it. This is called Emotional Amnesia or Dissociative Amnesia. Whether this disconnect of events is intentional to prevent painful thoughts or an automaticContinue Reading
Type A people tend to be extremely competitive and self critical. They constantly strive toward goals without feeling a sense of joy in their efforts or accomplishments. Check the items that apply to you. Do You… Are You a Type A? If most of this list applies to you, youContinue Reading
The term Repetition Compulsion was first coined by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the father of psychotherapy. The term is defined as a physical addiction to drama, stress, unhealthy situations or the re-enactment of victimization. In an updated 1989 summary, Dr. Bessel A. VanDerKock wrote an excellent study in his “The CompulsionContinue Reading
The ancient Greeks spoke of and were acquainted with the violence of emotional excess, which they called “madness” or “frenzy.” However, it wasn’t until the work of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) that we gained an insight into the “passions” and the origin of emotional disorders, as well as the general theoryContinue Reading
Emotions have been described and defined throughout history. Various passions were analyzed within certain dialogues of Plato and in Aristotle’s “Rhetoric,” as well as in Greek discussions of virtue and vice. All through the ages man has been trying to analyze and understand emotions. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) recommended “The PoetsContinue Reading
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs lists the qualities he observed in successful people who aimed high but kept their feet on the ground. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) created a highly structured plan to explain his path of human motivation that people need to follow as they move to self-actualization. The plan isContinue Reading
Most biological drives work similarly to hunger. However many psychologists do not believe sex is a primary motive, because sex (contrary to personal experience) is not necessary for individual survival, while hunger is. Sex is, however, necessary for survival of the species. Animal Fertility Cycles In most lower mammals, femalesContinue Reading
There are many types of defense mechanisms (Sigmund Freud referred to these as self-deceptions) that we use to help us deal with anxiety. They can be very rewarding in reducing stressful feelings. Once we learn how to use them and see how well they work, these defense mechanisms can beContinue Reading
According to Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), our psyche resembles an iceberg, with the area of primitive drives, the Id, lying hidden in the unconscious. The Ego interacts with conscious thoughts and regulates both the Id and the Superego – our critical judging voice. The Id The Id, is formed of innate,Continue Reading
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) saw the interaction of The Id, The Ego and The Superego as a delicate balance of power within a constantly conflicting mental process. You feel anxiety when the Ego is threatened or overwhelmed. Each personality develops ways of calming these anxieties, and many resort to using Ego-defenseContinue Reading