WHAT IS OEDIPLUS COMPLEX?
According to psychoanalytic theory, the Oedipus complex is a stage in normal development that includes a strong desire for sex with the parent of the other sex and a concurrent sense of competition with the parent of the same sex. The idea was first presented by Sigmund Freud in his book Interpretation of Dreams (1899). The feminine counterpart, the Electra complex, is named for another mythological figure who assisted in the murder of her mother. The word is derived from the Theban hero Oedipus of Greek legend, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother.
The Oedipus complex is said to affect kids between the ages of three and five, according to Freud. According to him, the stage normally ends when the youngster stops acting sexually and identifies with the parent of the same sex. The stage is successfully navigated if earlier interactions with the parents were mostly positive and untraumatic, and if parental views were neither overly restricting nor overly stimulating. However, when trauma is present, “infantile neurosis” happens, which is a crucial precursor to comparable reactions in the child’s adult life. The process of conquering the Oedipus complex is also the source of the superego, the moral component that rules the conscious adult mind. The Oedipus complex responses, in Freud’s opinion, were the most significant social advances of the human mind.
WHY IS IT CALLED OEDIPLUS COMPLEX?
The Greek myth of Oedipus, a Theban king who unintentionally killed his father and wed his mother, inspired the term of the Oedipus complex. The myth served as a counterexample to Sigmund Freud’s theory that children are drawn to their opposite-sex parent and hate their same-sex parent.
SIGNS OF OEDIPLUS COMPLEX
Freud believed that an Oedipus complex could manifest as excessively connected childhood behaviour, such as a boy declaring his desire to wed his mother when he grows up or acting too possessive of his mother’s attention, particularly when the father is around. Freud thought that the boy urging his father not to embrace or kiss his mother may be a symptom of an unresolved Oedipus complex. If his parents show romantic affection in front of him, he might even put himself in the way. Freud thought that some boys suppress their feelings for their mother rather than identifying more positively with their father and developing emotionally and sexually. When an Oedipus complex is suppressed, according to Freud, these unfulfilled desires may manifest as misogyny, a disdain for women, and the inability to have healthy love relationships. Young men may not recognize they have an Oedipal complex until they have a history of toxic relationships and an inability to distance themselves from their mother, according to Freud.
CONSEQUENCES OF OEDIPLUS COMPLEX
According to Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, a young child’s capacity to advance to the next stage of development may be harmed if an Oedipal complex isn’t properly resolved. Freud also believed that boys could become “mother obsessed” or, in the case of girls with an Electra complex, “father fixated,” pathological fixations. According to Freudian philosophy, children who have unresolved Oedipus complexes as children may find it challenging to establish fulfilling love relationships as adults.
According to the notion, it may also be difficult for people of the same sex to become friends because they may view those of different sexes as rivals for partners. Freud believed that males with an Oedipus complex would act out aggressively, especially if they felt their girlfriend or wife was being intruded upon by another man. He believed that women with Electra complexes can use sex as a substitute for a loving relationship in an effort to reclaim the affection they unconsciously believe their father withheld from them.
HOW THE OEDIPLUS COMPLEX IS TREATED IN CHILDREN
One sort of therapy that focuses on assisting with childhood conflict resolution is Psychoanalysis. There is debate surrounding Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, and experts disagree on whether or not an Oedipus complex exists. Psychoanalysts that do adhere to Freudian theory might concentrate on counselling that fosters the child’s increased identification with the same-sex parent. Numerous circumstances may benefit from family counselling. The objective is for the youngster to grow into a healthy sexual individual.
TAKEAWAY
According to Freudian theory, it can be challenging to establish healthy relationships as an adult if a child hasn’t resolved an unhealthy attachment and desire for their parent of the opposite sex and hasn’t effectively passed through the phallic stage of psychosexual development. Freudian psychoanalysts hold that treatment is most effective while children are younger, but that adults can still benefit from extensive therapy by learning to accept their Oedipus complexes and develop healthy, mature relationships.
