Counseling Psychology and Intervention

Anxiety in Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic practice

Name: Sadiya Mulla

Enrollment Number: A702131822096
Roll Number: PSYMScA2224
Course: MSc Psychology
Semester and Section: Semester 2, Section A
 Anxiety in Psychoanalysis
Overview of the assignment:
1. Introduction to Psychoanalysis.
2. Anxiety in Psychoanalysis.
3. Types of anxiety in psychoanalysis.
4. Role of a counsellor in a psychoanalytic practice.
5. Research on psychoanalytic anxiety and therapy.

Introduction to Psychoanalysis.
The man
the concept behind one of and
of Psychoanalysis the greatest psychological
Psychoanalytic approachtheories is Sigmund
to therapy. FreudFreud, whoon
was born gave
6th
May 1856 in Moravia, Austria. He was also coined as the father of psychoanalysis and
influenced many other psychologists to pursue their own theories inspired by psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis
childhood, and dreams. isIt arefers
method of therapy
to both a theoryin and
which the of
a type patient talks
therapy about
based onexperiences, early
the belief that all
people possess unconscious thoughts, feelings, desires, and memories. Psychoanalysis is based
on Freud's theory that people can experience catharsis and gain insight into their state of mind by
bringing the content of the unconscious into conscious awareness. Through this process, a person
can find relief from psychological distress.
Sigmund
psychology. FreudFreud was the
believed thatfounder
the human of psychoanalysis
mind was composed and theofpsychodynamic
three elements:approach to
the id, the
ego, and the superego. Other thinkers - including his own daughter, Anna Freud - also left a
significant mark on the field. Among the most prominent names in psychoanalysis were Erik
Erikson, Erich Fromm, and Carl Jung.
Anxiety in Psychoanalysis.
source, Freud described
to a specific anxiety
object as an objectless
that caused it. Freud madefear,anxiety
meaning anthat a person
important partcannot
of his point to its
personality
theory, asserting that it is fundamental to the development of all neurotic and psychotic behavior.
He suggested that the prototype of all anxiety is the birth trauma. The idea of birth trauma is that
the fetus is in a very protective and comforting environment, away from all the difficulties and
problems of life. But when the fetus is forced through to be birthed, it creates a hostile situation
for the to-be-birthed infant, hence creating a birth trauma. The fetus’s needs are immediately met
in the womb, but during birth, due to the hostile situation, things take a huge turn for the unborn
child. Suddenly, it is required to begin adapting to reality because its instinctual demands may
not always be immediately met. The newborn’s nervous system, immature and ill prepared, is
bombarded with diverse sensory stimuli.
This birthwith
first experience trauma, withaccording
anxiety, its tensiontoand fear From
Freud. that the
it, id
theinstincts
pattern won’t be satisfied,
of reactions is our
and feelings
that will occur every time someone is exposed to some threat in the future develops. The anxiety
tends to become traumatic when someone is unable to cope with it. according to Freud,
whenever someone experiences anxiety inducing situations, they will tend to become helpless to
some degree like an infant, irrespective of their age. This experience is termed as infantile
helplessness.
Sigmund Freud proposed three different types of anxiety, which are discussed below.
Types of anxiety in psychoanalysis.
a. Reality Anxiety
anxiety Reality anxiety istothe
is proportionate thefear
degreeof danger
of realfrom the external world, and the level of such
threat.
b. Neurotic Anxiety
Neurotic
do something foranxiety is the
which one fear
will bethat the instincts will get out of hand and cause one to
punished.
c. Moral Anxiety
Moral
conscience anxiety
tend to feelisguilty
the fear of they
when one’sdoown conscience.
something People
contrary withmoral
to their a well-developed
code.
Role of a counselor in psychoanalytic practice.
which isIn sometimes
classical psychoanalysis, analysts typically
called the “blank-screen” assume
approach. Theyanengage
anonymous
in verystance,
little
self-disclosure and maintain a sense of neutrality to foster a transference relationship,
in which their clients will make projections onto them. This transference relationship,
which is a cornerstone of psychoanalysis, “refers to the transfer of feelings originally
experienced in an early relationship to important people in a person’s present
environment”.
If the
reactions, therapists say islittle
assumption that about themselves
whatever the client and
feelsrarely
towardshare theirlargely
them will personalbe
the product of feelings associated with other significant figures from the past. These
projections, which have their origins in unfinished and repressed situations, are
considered “grist for the mill,” and their analysis is the very essence of therapeutic
work.
Research on anxiety in psychoanalysis.
Research 1
 A Study of the Psychoanalytic Theory of Anxiety by Allan Compton, M.D.
A study of
with emphasis on the
thedevelopment
relation of of
theFreud’s
anxietytheory
theoryof to
anxiety has beenand
the clinical presented,
general
theoretical context of each phase of his work. The propositions involved in Freud’s
final formulations on anxiety are organized and summarized, and an attempt is made
to integrate or eliminate earlier hypotheses, depending on their consistency the
eventual formulations. The effects of the discharge theory of affect are demonstrated
to lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive psychoanalytic theory of anxiety
within Freud’s general framework.
Research 2
A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Anxiety in Athletes by Tom Ferraro, Ph.D.
discuss This paperofpresents
the areas a review
resistance in athletic two
and narcissism, performance. Thepsychoanalysis
subjects that author does notis
especially suited to explore. However, he has covered the various aspects of sports
anxiety in athletes.
It is not
restlessness at all
before uncommon
games. to hear of
The intensity of sleeplessness,
the anxiety that vomiting, nervousness
is felt before and
and during
sports is so gripping, immediate and debilitating that one feels compelled to provide
fast relief for these anxious athletes. The need to offer a quick solution to panicking
athletes is so pervasive that it may account for the compulsive use of behavioral
techniques even when they are ill-advised or ineffective. For the psychologist that
works with athletes full-time and over a long period of time ones soon realizes that
these quick fixes are often not fixes at all and at best last for very brief periods.
that farThis
frombrief review
being of a psychoanalytic
an unnecessary approach
afterthought to anxiety
in sports, in athletes suggests
psychoanalysis has the
potential to provide a wide array of insights and interventions for the anxiety ridden
athlete.
References:
Cherry, Mind.
K. (2023). How Psychoanalysis Influenced the Field of Psychology. Verywell
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-psychoanalysis-2795246
Compton, A. (1972). of
Development A Study
Freud’sof Theory
the Psychoanalytic
of Anxiety. Theory
Journal ofofAnxiety. I. The
the American
Psychoanalytic Association, 20(1), 3–44.
https://doi.org/10.1177/000306517202000101
Corey, Edition),
G. (2005). Theory and Therapy,
Psychoanalytic Practice of
Pg Counseling
63, 69 and Psychotherapy, (Eighth
Ferraro,Insight:
T. (1999). A psychoanalytic
The Online perspective
Journal of Sport on anxiety
Psychology, in athletes. Athletic
1(2), 15-21.