Psychoanalysis began with the discovery that a person in complete physical health could experience an illness with physical symptoms that resulted from things trapped in the subconscious known as hysteria. Charcot, a French neurologist, tried to free the mind through hypnosis. A Viennese doctor, Josef Breuer, carried out this purification with a process based on his patient, Anna O., revealing her thoughts and feelings to him. Sigmund Freud took Breuer's method and made generalizations that turned into conceptualizations and ultimately into the theories of psychoanalysis. Freud listened to his patients and then used these thoughts to interpret what was happening in the unconscious part of their mind. This was explained as bringing the unconscious into consciousness so that it could be addressed through therapy. Breuer and Freud's successes with this method led to the seminal publication of Studies in Hysteria in 1895. Freud continued his theoretical practice to become the system of psychology known as psychoanalysis, a system that is the most influential psychotherapy theory of our time . . A brief look at psychoanalysis is seen through the foundations of Freud's theory. Freud began with his study of the three forces of the psyche: the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the unconscious and contains most inherited things and all-encompassing instincts. The ego is the conscious and must control the ever-demanding id by acting as a link to the outside world. The ego is a regulator and responds to a stimulus by adapting or fleeing, regulating itself and seeking pleasure while avoiding displeasure. The superego is actually managed by the id. It has the responsibility to limit satisfactions and represent the influence of other people, especially the influence of parents, teachers and other role models. It also represents the impact of racial, cultural and social traditions. Instincts, which are primarily part of the id, are the cause of all human behavior. Behavior is further made up of two fundamental instincts which are Eros (love) and Death (destructive and aggressive). Eros is responsible for establishing and preserving the unity of relationships. Death or the destructive instinct is intended to reveal... middle of paper... all human flaws and weaknesses can be examined, discussed and ultimately resolved. Typically, an analysis lasts a few years, with four or five weekly sessions of about 45 minutes each. In this way psychoneuroses and narcissistic personality disorders can be successfully treated in the majority of patients. Serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive illness and psychoses caused by malfunctioning of brain organs cannot be cured with psychoanalytic treatment, although the patient can often benefit from psychopharmacological treatment (sedatives, tranquilizers, antidepressants). in combination with psychotherapy. The longevity of success with psychoanalysis becomes a testament to Freud's in-depth study of the human mind. His over forty years of fieldwork were dedicated to the development of the fundamental principles of psychoanalysis along with the techniques and methods used by the analyst. His work was carried on by his daughter and later adopted and adapted by Erikson. What seemed so revolutionary in the 1890s and beyond is now widely accepted by nearly every school of psychological thought and its studies...