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Running head: EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

Explaining Phobia/Little Hans Tammy Poe PSYCH 645 March 31, 2014 Kathleen Bernhard

EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

Explaining Phobia Fear is something people seek to find ways of scaring themselves, such as a haunted house, or a scary movie, and people appear to enjoy this type of fear, however, at times, some people are scared of something that is not established in any reality. This type of fear is a phobia, something people are afraid of and do not know why. From dogs to heights and even closed spaces, these phobias can be disabling and destroy peoples common senses. To gain a better understanding of phobia, we examine the case of Little Hans. Sigmund Freud took to understanding Little Hans. Little Hans was the heart of the case study, which included the Oedipus complex, and other issues will also be examined later. It is to be understood that Freud did not see Little Hans on a regular basis it was more of a correspondence treatment, as the little boys father would communicate by mail or telegram at that time. The study had a remarkable impact because of the nature and that this was a first that was a part of Freud infantile sexuality theory among other ideas. Freud also focused on another aspect within this case, the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind has many unresolved problems that impact the way people think, act, and react. The unconscious mind is powerful. Freud believed that children of all kinds face emotions issues and conflicts that, if not dealt with correctly, may have unfortunate effects on the person later in life. Little Hans Little Hans was a five year old boy who suffered with the fear of horses, and he has a real phobia of horses. In the case of Hans, it was the final goal to finding a solution to his phobia and to find relevant treatment for his phobia, although there are always treatments, finding the answer may be difficult to do, and in some cases, uncertain. Not only was it Freuds intentions to

EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

resolve Hans phobia, but to also to figuring out the cause of the onset of the phobia Hans suffered from, and to understand the exact factors behind the remission of Hans fear of horses. Freuds Analysis of Hans Phobia of Horses In order to understand Hanss phobia and the factors involved, an attentive and explicit analysis would need to be performed with the then current knowledge in the area of psychology and phobias. One important clue was that Hans had unusual interests in sexual topics, so much so that he suggested his father to inform Freud of this. Hans at age five seem to be frightened of horses he feared that a horse may bite him without provocation. Even more interesting was that it appeared to be related to an unusual interest in penises. As time passed, the phobia continued and Hans father shared this information with Freud, the father shared every detail, the topics of discussions concerning whether or not Freud could find a solution. Hans had an obsession with the penis, but not just his own, but the organs of about anyone. At this point, Hans had an unusual interest with the anatomical differences between women and men. He all of a sudden developed the phobia of being bitten by a horse unexpectedly. Factors of Fear Over time, a sufficient amount of data was collected in order to have an idea and the cause of this fear and the drives behind this phobia. It was believed that other elements contributed to Hans fear and anxiety of horses. It appeared that various contributing factors lead to this fear, including the desire to replace his father as the mate of his mother, the birth and arrival of his sister, and problems concerning the act of masturbation. Furthermore, Hans father associated the issue with sexual over stimulation and other problems, such as an open discussion about sex and other aspects pertaining to the sexual human body. As discussed above, Freud did not see Hans regularly; discussions were by mail, although Freud did visit Hans one time.

EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

Although Freud had not seen Hans regularly, the metastasis in this situation was good. When the fear arose and Hans was trying to deal with his fear, Freud was able to comfort and calm Hans in this manner. As time passed, and over the next few years, the treatments were performed by Hanss father and under Freuds directions. The first document of this problem occurred when Hans was three, at this point Hans took notion to his reproductive organs and in other peoples as well, and not just for reproductive organs. Hans was not only interested in the penis of males he would also ask his mother about her organs. Throughout the time of Hanss phobia, many of his problems focused on the fantasy of the penis. It is documented that Hanss mother at one point had to request that Hans not touch his self or she would ask a doctor to remove the organs. At age four, is the time when Hanss phobia began bothering him and set things in motion. To assist Hans, his parents would allow Hans into their bed hoping it would calm him and help him sleep at night. There are three elements to this phobia; the actual fear of horses. Freud would ask Hans about the fear of horses, Hans then noted that he did not like horses, and at times it was white horse especially. The second element was the boxes the horses would haul on their carriages in town. The reasoning of this issue is that Hans had witnessed a horse falling to its death while pulling people and boxes on a carriage, and he was afraid of the sounds. The final element appeared odd, it had to do with a giraffe and a dream involving two giraffes, one that spoke to Hans and one that appeared wounded or flattened. After examining all the evidence, Freud speculated that Hans fear was based on the thought that Hanss father would castrate him because he had a sexual desire for his mother. Freud argued that the fear Hans was experiencing included symbolic images; the horse representing his father, would bite him representing castration because of his desires for his

EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

mother. Hans fear also included his fathers skin; his fathers skin was beautiful and white. Freud prompted that during the meeting of the boy with Freud, the bit in the horses mouth and the blinders resembled the fathers mustache and glasses. After Hanss meeting with Freud, Hans ask his father to please not trot away. Hans also had dislike to his baby sister, Hans feared that the attention he received from his mother would cease because his mother would be distracted by his sister. Hanss fear of carts, boxes, etc. because Hanss mother told him that babies come from storks carrying boxes with babies, just a thought of reason to why Hans wanted his newborn sister to go away. As time passed, Hanss fear began to take control of his activities. Hans became fearful of going outdoors in fear of being bitten by a horse, a white horse especially. Freud believed that the giraffe with the long neck resembled a large penis and the wounded or flattened giraffe was the mother. Hans wanted to get into bed with his parents in the morning but his father refused, which led to the giraffe dream and the divide that he would cause be looking to be in bed with his parents in the morning. As Hans began to outgrow his phobia, he noted that he had two imaginary thoughts, one included a plumber coming to remove his parts and replace them with larger ones, and that he was the father of many children and his mother was the mother and Hanss father was the grandfather. At this time, Hans wanted to be like his father, wanting a mustache and spectacles to mimic his father in likeness. Freud contends that Hans was actually dealing with the Universal Oedipus Complex and he also argued that Hanss behavior, actions, and impulses were somehow connected with the behaviors Hans has witnessed by his father. Conclusion

EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

It is obvious that based on the case of Hans there is evidence for what Freud argued as the Oedipus complex. When there is problem with anxiety and this anxiety is being dealt with clinically, it is referred as the Axis I. The problem Han was dealing with was noticeably anxiety phobia, because of this problem and the improbableness for a male child to fear castration. Hanss father was destined to find a solution with the assistance of Freud. This was considered new grounds for Hanss father and Freud, although Freud was seriously interested in this case and it backed his theory of Oedipus complex. What was determined was something called identify with aggressor. Over time, Freud and Hanss father observed Hans overcome his fear of horses and he moved on with his life. One factor that helped Hans in overcoming his fear was his father who under guidance of Freud, reassured Hans that there is no chance of his father castrating him at any time and the fear was groundless. Many years later, Hans returned to analyze his case history out of curiosity. Hans, 19 years old, did not have any memory of these events. He also claims to have no fears, does not suffer any emotional trauma, and appears to be well adjusted. Freud took note that Hans, at age 19, appeared healthy and fit.

EXPLAINING PHOBIA/LITTLE HANS

References

http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/little-hans.htmlMcLeod, S.A. Simply Psychology. Freud, Sigmund. (1909b). Analyse der Phobie eines fnfjhrigen Knaben ("Der kleine Hans") Jb. psychoanal. psycho-pathol. Forsch, I, 1-109; GW, VII, p. 241-377; Analysis of a phobia in a five-year-old boy. Freud, Anna. (1980). Introduction. In the paperback edition of The analysis of a phobia in a five-year-old boy. Frankfurt am Main: S. Fischer. Freud, Sigmund. (1905d). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/defence-mechanisms.html McLeod, S.A. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/ Freud, Sigmund. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Two Case Histories. London: The Hogarth Press, 1973

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