PSYCHOANALYSIS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does psychoanalysis mean? 

• PSYCHOANALYSIS (noun)
  The noun PSYCHOANALYSIS has 1 sense:

1. a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud

  Familiarity information: PSYCHOANALYSIS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PSYCHOANALYSIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

analysis; depth psychology; psychoanalysis

Context example:

his physician recommended psychoanalysis

Hypernyms ("psychoanalysis" is a kind of...):

psychotherapy (the treatment of mental or emotional problems by psychological means)

Domain member category:

penis envy ((psychoanalysis) a female's presumed envy of the male's penis; said to explain femininity)

cathectic (of or relating to cathexis)

death instinct; death wish; Thanatos ((psychoanalysis) an unconscious urge to die)

libidinal energy ((psychoanalysis) psychic energy produced by the libido)

cathexis; charge ((psychoanalysis) the libidinal energy invested in some idea or person or object)

acathexis ((psychoanalysis) a lack of cathexis; a condition in which significant objects or memories arouse no emotion in an individual)

psychosexual development ((psychoanalysis) the process during which personality and sexual behavior mature through a series of stages: first oral stage and then anal stage and then phallic stage and then latency stage and finally genital stage)

anaclisis ((psychoanalysis) relationship marked by strong dependence on others; especially a libidinal attachment to e.g. a parental figure)

castration anxiety ((psychoanalysis) anxiety resulting from real or imagined threats to your sexual functions; originally applied only to men but can in principle apply to women)

anal phase; anal stage ((psychoanalysis) the second sexual and social stage of a child's development during which bowel control is learned)

genital phase; genital stage ((psychoanalysis) the fifth sexual and social stage in a person's development occurring during adolescence; interest focuses on sexual activity)

latency period; latency phase; latency stage ((psychoanalysis) the fourth period (from about age 5 or 6 until puberty) during which sexual interests are supposed to be sublimated into other activities)

oral phase; oral stage ((psychoanalysis) the first sexual and social stage of an infant's development; the mouth is the focus of the libido and satisfaction comes from suckling and chewing and biting)

phallic phase; phallic stage ((psychoanalysis) the third stage in a child's development when awareness of and manipulation of the genitals is supposed to be a primary source of pleasure)

abreact (discharge bad feelings or tension through verbalization)

anal; anal retentive (a stage in psychosexual development when the child's interest is concentrated on the anal region; fixation at this stage is said to result in orderliness, meanness, stubbornness, compulsiveness, etc.)

oral (a stage in psychosexual development when the child's interest is concentrated in the mouth; fixation at this stage is said to result in dependence, selfishness, and aggression)

abreaction; catharsis; katharsis ((psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions)

reality principle ((psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the ego; the principle that as a child grows it becomes aware of the real environment and the need to accommodate to it)

anal personality; anal retentive personality ((psychoanalysis) a personality characterized by meticulous neatness and suspicion and reserve; said to be formed in early childhood by fixation during the anal stage of development (usually as a consequence of toilet training))

genital personality ((psychoanalysis) the mature personality which is not dominated by infantile pleasure drives)

oral personality ((psychoanalysis) a personality characterized either by generous optimism or aggressive and ambitious selfishness; formed in early childhood by fixation during the oral stage of development)

ego ((psychoanalysis) the conscious mind)

superego ((psychoanalysis) that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience)

id ((psychoanalysis) primitive instincts and energies underlying all psychic activity)

introjection ((psychoanalysis) the internalization of the parent figures and their values; leads to the formation of the superego)

pleasure-pain principle; pleasure-unpleasure principle; pleasure principle ((psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the id; the principle that an infant seeks gratification and fails to distinguish fantasy from reality)

libido ((psychoanalysis) a Freudian term for sexual urge or desire)

introject ((psychoanalysis) parental figures (and their values) that you introjected as a child; the voice of conscience is usually a parent's voice internalized)

ego ideal ((psychoanalysis) the part of the ego that contains an ideal of personal excellence toward which a person strives)

imago ((psychoanalysis) an idealized image of someone (usually a parent) formed in childhood)

condensation ((psychoanalysis) an unconscious process whereby two ideas or images combine into a single symbol; especially in dreams)

transference ((psychoanalysis) the process whereby emotions are passed on or displaced from one person to another; during psychoanalysis the displacement of feelings toward others (usually the parents) is onto the analyst)

latent content ((psychoanalysis) hidden meaning of a fantasy or dream)

complex ((psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "psychoanalysis"):

hypnoanalysis (the use of hypnosis in conjunction with psychoanalysis)

Derivation:

psychoanalytic; psychoanalytical (of or relating to or incorporating the methods and theory of psychiatric treatment originated by Sigmund Freud)