A personal history of Sigmund Freud's life, gives insight into the development of his works. Important factors most likely affecting his work and thoughts were: his Jewish background, the Victorian age in which he lived, and Darwin's ideas of evolution. Freud's studies and ideas cover many aspects of human behavior. His groundwork has laid a foundation for Psychology that cannot be ignored.
Starting with the thought that every action starts with a drive or motivation called an impulse. Freud used the Conscious, what we are aware of; Pre-conscious, accessible memories; and unconscious, inaccessible instinctual elements to help explain his theory of the Id, Ego, and Superego. Very basically the Id wants to reduce tension and is unconscious, the ego is are conscious mind that works to satisfy the Id and keep it under control at the same time, while the Superego gives morals to the ego to impose on the Id. According to Freud the two forms of energy Libido, wish or desires, and Aggressive energy are responsible for supplying the energy to satisfy impulses, the basic drive of humans. Freud goes further explaining human behavior through developmental stages.
The stages are Oral, Anal, Phallic, a latency period, and Genital. Freud's stages cover issues of self-discovery with sexual undertones. His Oedipus complex explains the struggle of males and in females in dealing with jealousy and desire for one of their parents. Freud's reasoning for his studies is to improve psychoanalysis and how to cope with anxiety.
I want to know more about Freud and the environment under which he worked with his patients. I worry about the validity of his work because they may be biased. By this I mean, biased to his views in understanding his own neuroses or seeing what he believes is affecting the patient. I do completely agree that before a therapist can psychoanalyze and properly treat a patient that the therapist must be fully analyzed and aware of his/her own shortcomings and strengths.
