Psycho-Analysis and the War NeurosesFreud, Sigmund
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Psycho-Analysis and the War Neuroses
Freud, Sigmund
Psychoanalysis; War neuroses
A further factor which operates on the labile sexuality of those
disposed to neuroses is the almost exclusive association with men.
The sexuality of the normal person takes no harm from this, but it
is otherwise in men with strong narcissistic traits. The knowledge
of the connection between homosexuality and narcissism enables us to
understand this.
The previously unstable attitude towards women begins to waver under
such conditions. If the lability of the attitude towards the other
sex is very great then it does not need even a war trauma to cause
a neurosis to break out in such men. For instance, I observed a man
who on return from furlough at home had a convulsive attack and was
brought into the hospital showing signs of anxiety and depression. The
man had always been noted for his effeminate disposition, and in his
married life was weakly potent and always inclined to jealousy. When he
was home on leave he failed absolutely in the attempt to have sexual
relations with his wife. His fears that his wife would be unfaithful to
him reached a crisis, and soon after his departure from home he had his
convulsive attack.
Such men with labile heterosexual impulses need a support for their
sexuality. They frequently find this in their wife on whom their
sexual hunger (libido) is completely dependent, or they have to defend
themselves from their feelings of insecurity sexually by having
constantly to convince themselves that they are potent by going with
prostitutes. And so in war they constantly need a support for their
wavering activity. Their military usefulness also is dependent upon
conditions. They are frequently useful in rank and file, supporting
their activity upon that of their comrades. A changed situation, and
occurrence, which with a marked disposition needs only to be very
trifling, upsets the balance, making the previously weakly-active man
wholly passive. The passivity is expressed then not only in the sphere
of the ego impulses, but likewise in that of the sexual impulses. The
narcissism breaks out. The capability of the transference of the sexual
hunger (libido) dies away as well as the capacity of self-sacrifice in
favour of the community. On the contrary, we now have a patient before
us who himself needs care and consideration on the part of others, who
in a typically narcissistic manner is in constant anxiety about his
life and health. The obtrusiveness of the symptoms (tremors, attacks,
etc.) is also narcissistic. Many of the patients show themselves
completely female-passive in the surrender to their suffering. In their
symptoms they are experiencing anew the situation which had caused the
neurosis to break out, and soliciting the sympathy of other people.
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