<p>Sigmund Freud: ‘The only person with whom you have to compare yourself is you in the past’.</p>.<p>I was, to be honest, somewhat wary about interviewing the ‘Father of Modern Psychology’. I wasn’t even sure that I really believed in some of his theories!</p>.<p>However, without a doubt, when people consider psychology and mental health (and increasingly, more and more of us do), one of the first names that comes to mind is that of Sigmund Freud. He contributed so much to our understanding of human development, personality and behaviour. So, there I was waiting, as an elderly Austrian gentleman (with a hacking smoker’s cough and a cane) walked up to me with a dog scampering along beside him.</p>.<p>“Glad to meet you, Sir,” I said as I held out a hand. “Good day to you,” he responded, somewhat stiffly.</p>.<p>“You studied medicine initially, didn’t you?” I asked. “When did your interest turn to diseases of the mind rather than the body?”</p>.<p>“My interest initially was in neurology, the study of the nervous system. Then my friend, Dr Josef Breuer introduced me to a patient of his (whom we referred to as Anna O). We worked with her primarily to cure a nervous cough and some sort of paralysis, for which we could not find any physiological reason. Under hypnosis, however, she revealed several disturbing incidents from her past and talking about them seemed to calm her symptoms. This led to my belief that many mental problems exist not in the nerves or the brain but in the mind, and that talking about them helps,” he answered.</p>.<p>“What Anna herself called, ‘the talking cure’,” I said. Freud nodded. As I said, “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways. You certainly brought about a big change in the treatment of mental illnesses.” </p>.<p>“I developed several techniques for talk therapy that would help doctors understand their patients. Are they in use today?” he asked.</p>.<p>“Er… some of them are,” I said. “Some have fallen out of repute, I’m afraid. However,” I hastened to add, “Yours is without a doubt, the most often remembered name in the field as far as ordinary people are concerned. Many of the terms you used have entered popular lingo. Everyone talks about Freudian slips (we simply call them a slip of the tongue), the unconscious mind, wish fulfilment and the ego.”</p>.<p>Freud frowned. “So, I’m not a scientist anymore?” “No, no…” I said hurriedly. “Most scientists do agree with you about the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping personality and behaviour. And the important role that the unconscious mind plays in human behaviour? That’s absolutely relevant in modern psychology too. They also agree that talking about it helps. It’s your explanation of id, superego and ego that many today find difficult to accept. They say that there’s no scientific evidence.”</p>.<p>“It’s a relief to know that some of my theories are still considered relevant!” he said somewhat grumpily.</p>.<p>“And there’s another thing that’s just become a modern idea in psychotherapy, which you used a long time ago,” I said looking at the dog. “What is that?” he asked. “Using animals to soothe anxious patients. The modern world only started talking about it about 50 years ago but you let Jofi here, sit in on your sessions with patients a hundred years ago and noticed that it helped.” Finally, I got a smile as he patted Jofi on the head.</p>.<p>“It must be hard to have been nominated for the Nobel Prize in medicine twelve times and yet not be given, right?” I asked. “It would have been nice to receive it, certainly, but that’s life,” Freud nodded. </p>.<p>“Can you tell me one story about yourself that many people wouldn’t know?” I asked. “Oh… Do you know about the caul?” he asked. I must have looked puzzled because he went on. “I was born with a membrane covering my head and face. It’s called a caul and is rather uncommon but completely harmless. My mother was over the moon. She had faith in the superstition that such children are destined for greatness.” Smiling to himself at the thought, Freud walked away.</p>.<p>(Valsala is a writer and a soft-skills and communications trainer.)</p>
<p>Sigmund Freud: ‘The only person with whom you have to compare yourself is you in the past’.</p>.<p>I was, to be honest, somewhat wary about interviewing the ‘Father of Modern Psychology’. I wasn’t even sure that I really believed in some of his theories!</p>.<p>However, without a doubt, when people consider psychology and mental health (and increasingly, more and more of us do), one of the first names that comes to mind is that of Sigmund Freud. He contributed so much to our understanding of human development, personality and behaviour. So, there I was waiting, as an elderly Austrian gentleman (with a hacking smoker’s cough and a cane) walked up to me with a dog scampering along beside him.</p>.<p>“Glad to meet you, Sir,” I said as I held out a hand. “Good day to you,” he responded, somewhat stiffly.</p>.<p>“You studied medicine initially, didn’t you?” I asked. “When did your interest turn to diseases of the mind rather than the body?”</p>.<p>“My interest initially was in neurology, the study of the nervous system. Then my friend, Dr Josef Breuer introduced me to a patient of his (whom we referred to as Anna O). We worked with her primarily to cure a nervous cough and some sort of paralysis, for which we could not find any physiological reason. Under hypnosis, however, she revealed several disturbing incidents from her past and talking about them seemed to calm her symptoms. This led to my belief that many mental problems exist not in the nerves or the brain but in the mind, and that talking about them helps,” he answered.</p>.<p>“What Anna herself called, ‘the talking cure’,” I said. Freud nodded. As I said, “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways. You certainly brought about a big change in the treatment of mental illnesses.” </p>.<p>“I developed several techniques for talk therapy that would help doctors understand their patients. Are they in use today?” he asked.</p>.<p>“Er… some of them are,” I said. “Some have fallen out of repute, I’m afraid. However,” I hastened to add, “Yours is without a doubt, the most often remembered name in the field as far as ordinary people are concerned. Many of the terms you used have entered popular lingo. Everyone talks about Freudian slips (we simply call them a slip of the tongue), the unconscious mind, wish fulfilment and the ego.”</p>.<p>Freud frowned. “So, I’m not a scientist anymore?” “No, no…” I said hurriedly. “Most scientists do agree with you about the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping personality and behaviour. And the important role that the unconscious mind plays in human behaviour? That’s absolutely relevant in modern psychology too. They also agree that talking about it helps. It’s your explanation of id, superego and ego that many today find difficult to accept. They say that there’s no scientific evidence.”</p>.<p>“It’s a relief to know that some of my theories are still considered relevant!” he said somewhat grumpily.</p>.<p>“And there’s another thing that’s just become a modern idea in psychotherapy, which you used a long time ago,” I said looking at the dog. “What is that?” he asked. “Using animals to soothe anxious patients. The modern world only started talking about it about 50 years ago but you let Jofi here, sit in on your sessions with patients a hundred years ago and noticed that it helped.” Finally, I got a smile as he patted Jofi on the head.</p>.<p>“It must be hard to have been nominated for the Nobel Prize in medicine twelve times and yet not be given, right?” I asked. “It would have been nice to receive it, certainly, but that’s life,” Freud nodded. </p>.<p>“Can you tell me one story about yourself that many people wouldn’t know?” I asked. “Oh… Do you know about the caul?” he asked. I must have looked puzzled because he went on. “I was born with a membrane covering my head and face. It’s called a caul and is rather uncommon but completely harmless. My mother was over the moon. She had faith in the superstition that such children are destined for greatness.” Smiling to himself at the thought, Freud walked away.</p>.<p>(Valsala is a writer and a soft-skills and communications trainer.)</p>