I am not defined by them

I am not one of them.
I am not defined by them.
I am not responsible for taking care
of either one of them (especially
since they are no longer in this life.)


(September 28, 2012)

Freud

Freud's greatest contribution to mental health: Freud initially thought that many of his female patients were relating actual memories of sexual abuse in early childhood (mostly by their fathers). He concluded this abuse was responsible for their neuroses and other mental health problems. In light of the repessed sexuality among Victorians, it was certainly possible that fathers were turning to their daughters for sex. The fact that Freud listened to these former victims and took them seriously was a tremendous breakthrough in understanding and resolving shame, denial, and dysfunctionality.

Freud's greatest contribution to mental illness: Within a few years Freud changed his mind, deciding that the women's memories of incest were in fact products of their own fantasies and desires--constituted "wish fulfillment." By doing so, he betrayed his clients and did them a grave disservice, re-enforcing shame, denial, and repression, setting sympathetic appreciation of their trauma back further than he had advanced it.

I just needed to say that.