Sigmund Freud's Death

Freud is frequently photographed smoking, which he began at age 24.  He smoked just cigarettes at first, and was later introduced to cigars, which he began to smoke exclusively.  He believed that they helped him to focus and enhanced his ability to work.  He continued to smoke despite warnings from colleagues.  Freud's excessive smoking eventually led to his death in the form of cancer in the mouth.  Sigmund Freud died on September 23, 1939 at the age of 83.

Anna Freud: Sigmund Freud's Famous Daughter

Anna was the sixth child born to the Freud family, born on December 3, 1895.  Anna grew up a troubled child, never able to establish a relationship with her mother or her siblings, especially her sister Sophie.  Sophie was only one year older than Anna, but was much more attractive, though not as smart.  The two constantly were at war, battling for their father's affection.  Anna also struggled with what she called "unreasonable thoughts and feelings".  Sigmund Freud repeatedly sent his youngest daughter to health farms where she could rest and relax. It was thought that young Anna suffered from depression causing her to have eating disorders which explained her slight build.  Anna and Sigmund began to grow extremely close, which Sigmund often wrote about in his journals, more often than any of his other children.  In 1918 Anna’s father began an intense psychoanalysis on her and soon after Anna became obsessed with her father’s studies.  In 1923, Anna began her own psychoanalytical practice with children, and two short years later began teaching child analysis at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Training Institute.  In 1936 Anna published her work on "ways and means by which the ego wards off displeasure and anxiety", The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense, which estblished her career as a leading theoretician. 

Anna committed her life to protecting her father’s legacy and was constantly striving to uphold his theories.  It has been suggested that the Oedipus Complex was present in Anna and Sigmund’s relationship, but has never been proven.  Anna died on October 9, 1982 at the age of 86.

The Life of Sigmund Freud: The Man Behind Psychology

Freud was born into a Jewish family on May 6, 1856 in Moravian, Příbor, Austrian Empire (now known as the Czech Republic).  Growing up, he had two older half-brothers and six younger siblings.  Although the Freud family grew to be quite large, Sigmund remained his mother's favorite child.  The Freud family house had only four bedrooms for everyone to share, but Sigmund was given a bedroom to himself to study.  His parents recognized his natural ability to learn, and thus he became the "golden child".  When he was of age Freud entered Leopoldstädter Kommunal-Realgymnasium, an esteemed high school, where he graduated in 1873 with honors.  After high school, Freud enrolled in the University of Vienna.  There, he studied medicine and graduated at age 24.  Sigmund met his wife, Martha Bernays, at age tenty-six, and they became engaged two short months later.  The two went on to have six children, one of which being Anna, Sigmund's famous daughter.

Eros and Thanatos: Life and Death Drives

Eros- life drive; drive for survival, propagation, hunger, thirst, and sex.

Thanatos- death drive; drive to return to a state of calm, or an inorganic or dead state.

Freud defined the life and death drives by defining pleasure and unpleasure first.  Unpleasure refers to the increase of stimuli.  For example, excessive friction on the skin's surface produces a burning sensation or, the bombardment of visual stimuli amidst rush hour traffic produces anxiety.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, pleasure is defined as a decrease in stimuli.  For example, a calm environment the body enters after having been subjected to a hectic environment.  If pleasure increases as stimuli decrease, the ultimate pleasure would be zero stimulus, or death.