- Oedipus complex: origin of the term
- Oedipus complex: symptoms
- Oedipus complex in an adult male
- Treatment of the Oedipus complex
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The Oedipus complex is a phenomenon described in psychoanalysis, which consists in the son's erotic attraction towards the mother and dislike of the father. The Oedipus complex is considered a natural stage of human development and is typically self-limiting, but not all of them do. What problems does an unresolved Oedipus complex lead to in an adult male? If the Oedipus complex is constantly experienced in adulthood, can patients be offered some kind of treatment and - above all - what are the symptoms of the Oedipus complex?
Contents:
- Oedipus complex: origin of the term
- Oedipus complex: symptoms
- Oedipus complex in an adult male
- Treatment of the Oedipus complex
The Oedipus Complexis one of the many psychological mechanisms distinguished by Sigmund Freud in the way of human development. These mechanisms are part of the psychoanalysis he created, which many consider even pseudoscientific gibberish.
Its opponents suggest that seeing childhood as the causes of various mental problems already in adulthood is actually meaningless, and many phenomena distinguished in psychoanalysis have not been scientifically confirmed at all.
Despite the fact that psychoanalysis is indeed controversial, many patients use it anyway and achieve the expected benefits of undergoing therapy, therefore it is impossible to completely discredit psychoanalysis as a therapeutic method.
In addition to the Oedipus complex, there is a phenomenon in which the daughter directs the sexual attraction towards her father - it is called the Electra complex.
Oedipus complex: origin of the term
The term "Oedipus complex" comes from a myth. In this story, the Greek ruler, Lajos, was foretold that he would die at the hands of his own descendant, and what was more - his own son would later be married to his wife.
To prevent these events from happening, the ruler abandoned his newly born son. Many predictions do not come true at all, but in the case of Lajos the version of the future he heard did come true - despite his abandonment, his descendant, Oedipus, survived and during thefighting killed his father.
The rest of the prophecy also came true, because Oedipus became involved with his mother, Jocasta, and even had children with her.
The hero of the myth had no idea that he killed his father or that he married and later fathered children with his own mother. When he found out about it, this awareness had a significant impact on his psyche - the man blinded himself and then went into exile of his own free will.
In the light of psychoanalysis, the Oedipus complex is essentially the incestuous sexual drive shown by a son to his mother.
Oedipus complex: symptoms
The above-mentioned incestuous sexual attraction to a parent may seem quite controversial, but in reality - at least according to the founders of psychoanalysis - it is experienced by … every human being.
The Oedipus complex becomes apparent when the boy begins to learn about erotic phenomena and when he starts to think about his own sexuality.
When this phenomenon occurs, interest in eroticism is directed at the closest person of the opposite sex in the environment - in this case it is the boy's mother.
It can be noticed that the child experiences the Oedipus complex, first of all, because the little one begins to strive more and more for close body contact with the mother.
He may, for example - as if imitating his father - often try to kiss her on the lips. The baby can also become much more curious about the mother's corporeality.
The Oedipus complex is considered to be one of the natural stages of the psychological development of children and is to appear in boys between the ages of 2 and 6.
Until now, only the relationship between mother and child has been mentioned in the context of the Oedipus complex. It is not, however, that the child's father is not involved in this phenomenon at all.
The mother enters into an erotic relationship with the father, and therefore the child begins to feel jealous of her guardian. This can manifest itself in various ways, for example, the baby may be irritated in the presence of his father or try to separate him and spend as much time with his mother alone as possible.
The father-son relationship in the context of the Oedipus complex is also related to the so-called castration anxiety. It consists in the fact that the child would fear punishment from the father related to the fact that he seeks the favor of his spouse.
It might seem that the feeling of such anxiety is an unfavorable phenomenon, but it is quite different - the occurrence of castration anxiety allows us to work through the complexOedipus makes it possible to identify with the father and finally oust the Oedipus complex.
Ultimately, the child's erotic attraction to the mother subsides, he begins to feel embarrassed in connection with sexual topics, and the superego (that is, the last of the developing elements of the entire human personality) is formed.
Worth knowingOedipus complex: how can parents support their child overworking it?
After reading the description of the Oedipus complex, the parents may feel that they should make some attempts to eliminate this phenomenon in their son.
Yes, some steps can be taken, although they must be extremely gentle. The mother's reacting with anger or anger to her son's attempts to make physical contact will not bring any beneficial effects, on the contrary - they may only lead to the emergence of a growing psychological conflict in the child.
The child should not be disciplined for the natural stage of its development. However, other attempts can be made - a two- or three-year-old child should sleep in their own room, in addition, parents should also limit their children from seeing them in an intimate situation or simply naked.
In turn, to the constant attempts of physical contact - e.g. kisses on the lips - the mother may reply to the child that such an activity is somehow "reserved" for his dad, and the little one can replace it by, for example, kissing the mother on the cheek.
Oedipus complex in an adult male
Under proper conditions, the Oedipus complex is dissolved in the early years of a child's life. However, this is not always the case - the recovery of this phenomenon may be disturbed mainly by problems in family relationships. An example is the divorce of the parents and the departure of the father from the mother.
In such a situation, the boy may feel like a "winner" in the fight for the mother's favor - in the end, he stays with her. The same happens when the mother does not feel satisfied in the relationship with the father of her child - she can then direct all her attention to the toddler, convince the child about his unique uniqueness or spend a lot of time alone with him.
Some experts believe that failure to resolve the Oedipus complex may be the underlying cause of narcissistic personality disorders.
The Oedipus complex in its basic assumption is actually related to the presence of the son's sexually marked attraction towards the mother. However, this phenomenon occurs mainly in early childhood.
In a situation whereThe Oedipus complex will not be resolved and the man experiences it in his adult life, it can lead to completely different problems.
A patient with the complex still present may be convinced of his uniqueness, difficult to react to criticism or not prone to any polemics with other people - after all, his mother herself convinced him how special he was .
Another problem that may arise from the patient's continued experience with the Oedipus complex is the difficulty in establishing a properly functioning emotional relationship in such a man's life.
In this case, the symptoms of the Oedipus complex in an adult may be excessive attachment to the mother and her decisions, as well as difficulties in leaving the family home and starting an adult, independent life. It is fairly easy to guess that such a man may have difficulty creating a well-functioning relationship with any woman.
ImportantTreatment of the Oedipus complex
Fortunately, the problems resulting from the unresolved Oedipus complex can be solved - for this, however, it is necessary to go to a psychotherapist. The way to cure the Oedipus complex would be to resort to psychoanalytic therapy.
It is during them that the patient would be able to analyze, together with the therapist, the experiences of his childhood and look for those phenomena that could contribute to the failure to resolve the Oedipus complex. Ultimately, the goal of therapy is to work through such unresolved psychological conflicts and displace the Oedipus complex.
About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.