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.
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