Psycho-Analysis and the War NeurosesFreud, Sigmund
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Psycho-Analysis and the War Neuroses
Freud, Sigmund
Psychoanalysis; War neuroses
The observation that I have made as regards the participation of sexual
factors in the formation of symptoms in the traumatic neuroses also
shows that in traumatic neurotics the genital sexual hunger (libido)
and potency is generally greatly injured; in many cases it can even be
entirely suspended and that for long periods. This condition which is a
positive one is alone sufficient to demonstrate the rashness of Nonne’s
conclusion[3].
Ladies and gentlemen: With what I have said I have discharged the chief
task of my paper, which was the critical survey of the literature on
the war neuroses from the standpoint of psycho-analysis. However,
I will make use of this rare opportunity to tell you some of the
observations I have made myself, and I will present points of view
which may help to explain these conditions psycho-analytically.
In the psychical sphere of the traumatic neuroses there predominate
such symptoms as hypochondriacal depression, terror, anxiousness, and a
high degree of irritability with a tendency to outbursts of anger. Most
of these symptoms can be traced back to _increased ego-sensitiveness_
(in particular the hypochondria and the incapability of tolerating
physical or mental discomfort). This over-sensitiveness arises from
the fact that in consequence of the shock, which has been experienced
once or repeatedly, the interest and sexual hunger (libido) of the
patients is withdrawn from the object into the ego. There thus comes
about a damming-up of the sexual hunger (libido) in the ego, which is
expressed in those abnormal hypochondriacal organic sensations and
over-sensitiveness. Frequently this heightened ego-love degenerates
into a kind of infantile narcissism: the patients would like to be
pampered, cared for, and pitied like children. One can therefore speak
of a reversion into the childish stage of self-love. This heightening
corresponds to the diminution of object-love, often also of genital
potency. A man who is already predisposed to narcissism will of course
sooner fall a victim to a traumatic neurosis; still no one is entirely
immune from it, since the stage of narcissism forms a significant
fixation point in the development of the sexual hunger (libido) of
every human being. The combination with other narcissistic neuroses,
especially paranoia and dementia, frequently occurs.
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