Exploring Freud’s Interpretation of Anxiety
Our first trauma was during our own birth.
As a student of psychology, I am always fascinated by various topics, including anxiety, trauma, and fear.
Some of us have a fear of the unknown, a fear of failing exams, a fear of losing our job, a fear of public speaking, and so on. Fear is how we all walk through certain feelings. We always label it as fear.
However, some people may develop an extreme level of fear such as anxiety. It pops up and can be very pervasive.
Defining Anxiety
We already have some clue about the word anxiety, especially when we feel anxious. Anxiety is not unlike fear — sometimes, we become anxious without knowing what we are afraid about.
Anxiety As Objectless Fear
Freud identified anxiety as an objectless fear. He had argued that anxiety is fundamental to the development of all neurotic and psychotic behavior. His work argued that anxiety is the prototype for the very birth of trauma.
Birth Trauma
In the mother’s womb, an unborn child is in their most stable and secure world. All of their needs are satisfied without much delay.
