(1936). Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 5:415-443 Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety IXIt now remains to deal with the relationship between symptom formation and anxiety development. Two opinions about this seem to be prevalent. One of them terms the anxiety itself a symptom of the neurosis, the other conceives of a far more intimate connection between the two. According to this latter view, all symptom formation would be brought about solely in order to avoid anxiety; the symptoms bind the psychic energy which otherwise would be discharged as anxiety, so that anxiety would be the fundamental phenomenon and the central problem of neurosis. The at least partial justification of this second position can be supplied by means of certain striking examples. If an agoraphobic who has been accompanied whenever he went out on the street is left alone there, he produces an attack of anxiety; if a compulsion neurotic is prevented from washing his hands after touching something, he becomes a prey to almost insupportable anxiety. It is clear, therefore, that the sti [This is a summary or excerpt from the full text of the book or article. The full text of the document is available to subscribers.] |
