Karen Horney Neo-Freudian View Accomplishments on Self-Realization

About Horney When she was very young, she had a crush on her older brother, he soon pushed her away. This would be the start of her depression. She entered medical school against her parent's wishes and graduated in 1913. Later Karen decided to enter into the pursuit of psychoanalysis. Oskar Horney, her husband, was a very mean aggressive man, Horney finally built up the courage just as her mom did when she was a kid to move away from her horrible husband. Soon after Karen's brother died. These events made Horney enter into a second state of depression.

Neurotic Individuals Neurosis is a mental disorder in which emotional stress is expressed through physiological, and mental disturbances. They may experience: anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, mental confusion, low sense of self-worth, unpleasant or disturbing thoughts, negativity, or perfectionism.

Self-Realization According to Horney we have two views of our self: The real self; is who and what we actually are, this self has the potential to grow. The ideal self; the type of person we feel that we should be, a role model to the real self. A person who does not suffer from neurosis knows the differences between the real and ideal self. A neurotic person's self is split between an idealized self and a real self. They feel that they somehow do not live up to the ideal self. Therefor making themselves feel useless because they aren't the best they can be.

Neurosis She compiled a detailed theory of neurosis, with data from her patients. She named ten patterns of neurotic needs; The need for affection; pleasing others. The need for a partner; one they can love and who will solve all problems. The need for power; the neurotic may be desperate for it. The need to exploit others; become manipulative. The need for social recognition; limelight. The need for personal admiration; to be valued. The need for personal achievement. The need for independence; may discard other individuals entirely. The need for perfection; display a fear of being even slightly flawed. The need to restrict life practices; to live as unnoticeable as possible. Horney was able to condense them into three broad categories: Compliance, Aggression, Detachment

Neo-Freudianism Sigmund Freud had many controversial theories, the term Neo-Freudian referred any other psychoanalysis's thoughts on his theories. Horney refused to believe that woman had ‘penis envy’. She instead insisted on men having ‘womb envy’ and the only reason they were driven to success was to make up for the fact that they could not carry a child.

Freud's Response “We shall not be very greatly surprised if a woman analyst who has not been sufficiently convinced of the intensity of her own wish for a penis” (off book)

How She Changed Psychology The Karen Horney Clinic opened on May 6, 1955 in New York City, The institution seeks to research and train medical professionals, as well as a low-cost treatment center She also was a major part of the feminine revolution, proving that woman are not inferior and that we do not have ‘Penis envy’