Repression (original) (raw)

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Freud conceived of repression as the root of people’s “neuroses,” the term he ascribed to mental struggles such as stress, anxiety, and depression. These patients could be treated, he believed, by recalling repressed experiences into consciousness and confronting them in therapy. This led to a sudden and dramatic outpouring of emotion, dubbed catharsis, and the attainment of insight.

In the course of treatment, the patient might show resistance by changing the topic, blanking out, falling asleep, arriving late, or missing appointments. Freud believed that such behavior suggested that the patient was close to recalling repressed experiences but was still afraid to do so.

Although these ideas have largely been disproven, Freud’s ideas about the unconscious and defense mechanisms helped shape the field of psychology.