Selected papers on hysteria and other psychoneurosesFreud, Sigmund
Science
Selected papers on hysteria and other psychoneuroses
Freud, Sigmund
Hysteria; Neuroses; Psychoanalysis
I call this symptom-complex “anxiety neurosis” (Angstneurose) because
the sum of its components can be grouped around the main symptom of
anxiety, because each individual symptom shows a definite relation to
anxiety. I believed that I was original in this conception of the
symptoms of anxiety neurosis until an interesting lecture by E.
Hecker[41] fell into my hands. In this lecture I found the description
of the same interpretation with all the desired clearness and
completeness. To be sure, Hecker does not separate the equivalents or
rudiments of the attack of anxiety from neurasthenia as I intend to do;
but this is apparently due to the fact that neither here nor there has
he taken into account the diversity of the etiological determinants.
With the knowledge of the latter difference every obligation to
designate the anxiety neurosis by the same name as the real neurasthenia
disappears, for the only object of arbitrary naming is to facilitate the
formulation of general assertions.
I. CLINICAL SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF ANXIETY NEUROSIS.
What I call “anxiety neurosis” can be observed in complete or
rudimentary development, either isolated or in combination with other
neuroses. The cases which are in a measure complete, and at the same
time isolated, are naturally those which especially corroborate the
impression that the anxiety neurosis possesses clinical independence. In
other cases we are confronted with the task of selecting and separating
from a symptom-complex which corresponds to a “mixed neurosis,” all
those symptoms which do not belong to neurasthenia, hysteria, etc., but
to the anxiety neurosis.
The clinical picture of the anxiety neurosis comprises the following
symptoms:
1. _General Irritability._—This is a frequent nervous symptom, common as
such to many nervous states. I mention it here because it constantly
occurs in the anxiety neurosis and is of theoretical significance. For
increased irritability always points to an accumulation of excitement or
to an inability to bear accumulation, hence to an absolute or relative
accumulation of excitement. The expression of this increased
irritability through an auditory hyperesthesia is especially worth
mentioning; it is an over sensitiveness for noises, which symptom is
certainly to be explained by the congenital intimate relationship
between auditory impressions and fright. Auditory hyperesthesia is
frequently found as a cause of insomnia, of which more than one form
belongs to anxiety neurosis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account