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A Case of Hysteria

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Published April 6, 2013

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About the author

Sigmund Freud

4,473 books8,554 followers
Dr. Sigismund Freud (later changed to Sigmund) was a neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, who created an entirely new approach to the understanding of the human personality. He is regarded as one of the most influential—and controversial—minds of the 20th century.

In 1873, Freud began to study medicine at the University of Vienna. After graduating, he worked at the Vienna General Hospital. He collaborated with Josef Breuer in treating hysteria by the recall of painful experiences under hypnosis. In 1885, Freud went to Paris as a student of the neurologist Jean Charcot. On his return to Vienna the following year, Freud set up in private practice, specialising in nervous and brain disorders. The same year he married Martha Bernays, with whom he had six children.

Freud developed the theory that humans have an unconscious in which sexual and aggressive impulses are in perpetual conflict for supremacy with the defences against them. In 1897, he began an intensive analysis of himself. In 1900, his major work 'The Interpretation of Dreams' was published in which Freud analysed dreams in terms of unconscious desires and experiences.

In 1902, Freud was appointed Professor of Neuropathology at the University of Vienna, a post he held until 1938. Although the medical establishment disagreed with many of his theories, a group of pupils and followers began to gather around Freud. In 1910, the International Psychoanalytic Association was founded with Carl Jung, a close associate of Freud's, as the president. Jung later broke with Freud and developed his own theories.

After World War One, Freud spent less time in clinical observation and concentrated on the application of his theories to history, art, literature and anthropology. In 1923, he published 'The Ego and the Id', which suggested a new structural model of the mind, divided into the 'id, the 'ego' and the 'superego'.

In 1933, the Nazis publicly burnt a number of Freud's books. In 1938, shortly after the Nazis annexed Austria, Freud left Vienna for London with his wife and daughter Anna.

Freud had been diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 1923, and underwent more than 30 operations. He died of cancer on 23 September 1939.

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Zephyrine Knight.
9 reviews
February 21, 2025
one of the most boring books i have ever had to read. throughout the book, it reads like he is not actually trying to make sense of her symptoms as they are and coming to conclusions from them, but trying to fit her symptoms to his narrative, into the theory that he has already believed to be true instead. so many mental gymnastics for a simple concept: women just don't like being sexually assaulted and react strongly against it. shocker, i know. 'but- but- but- it was actually that she- but in her dreams-' not everything is a symbol for sexual concepts. freud turns away from his material at hand to his speculations, how can we really call this science?

the essays in the introduction were much more enjoyable and sensible than the original text.
Profile Image for Cassidy Carroll.
2 reviews
January 26, 2026
Seeing a lot of bad reviews. I rated 2 stars just because it’s not my typical read but it’s more like 2.5 and I debated giving it 3. If you read it keeping in mind that Freud was actually kind of crazy and that it shows how far the medical field has actually come, it’s honestly a fun read. Also, the intro and the explanations of Freud’s theories was fun to read for extra context. Overall, I didn’t hate it and I’m glad I read it. (It was a pretty insane read though)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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