Sigmund Freud is best known for his theoretical work on the human mind and for his development of theories about the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior. But Freud's theory did not come from nowhere but directly from his clinical practice. Freud's writings are therefore full of case studies explaining his way of reaching his conclusions. Some of these case studies are now Freud's most famous patients.
The case of Anna O.
One of the most famous case studies conducted by Freud was that of Anna O., also known as Bertha Pappenheim. Anna was a young woman who was suffering from symptoms including hallucinations, paralysis, and loss of speech. She was treated by Josef Breuer, a colleague of Freud's, who used a technique known as the "talking cure" to help her understand and express her thoughts and emotions. One interesting thing is Anna's sudden unexplained hydrophobia, which was revealed to be caused by her seeing her roommate's dog drinking out of her cup. This treatment proved to be effective and Anna eventually made a full recovery.
Little Hans
Another famous case study conducted by Freud was that of "Little Hans," a five-year-old boy who developed a phobia of horses. Through his analysis of the boy's behavior and dreams, Freud concluded that the phobia was caused by unconscious sexual desires. This case study helped to support Freud's theory of the Oedipus complex, which suggests that young children have sexual desires towards their opposite-sex parent. Little Hans' fear of his father was replaced by fear of horses, and once this was acknowledged the symptoms went away.
Dora
Another one of Freud's famous patients is a woman known as "Dora" who was suffering from hysteria. Through his analysis of Dora's symptoms and behavior, Freud concluded that her condition was caused by repressed desires and conflicts related to her sexuality. This case study helped to support Freud's theory of repression, which suggests that individuals may unconsciously repress unpleasant thoughts and feelings.
The Wolfman
Another famous case study conducted by Freud was that of the "Wolfman," a Russian man named Sergei Pankejeff who was suffering from anxiety and phobias. Through his analysis of the man's dreams and childhood experiences, Freud concluded that the root of his psychological problems was a repressed memory of a traumatic experience involving his parents. This case study helped to support Freud's theories of repression and the Oedipus complex, and provided further evidence for his belief in the role of the unconscious mind in shaping behavior. The Wolfman case remains one of the most well-known and controversial case studies in the history of psychology.
These case studies and the theories developed by Freud had a major influence on the field of psychology and continue to be studied and discussed by psychologists today. His work on the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior helped to pave the way for many of the treatment methods used in modern psychology, such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
To dive deeper, see Best books to start reading Freud
-
*This text was created with the aid of OpenAI’s GPT-3 model and modified by the author.
