One of Freud’s key concepts is how the unconscious mind influences our behaviour. A big part of this relates to our early years, and how successfully we navigate each phase of development. Freud organised childhood in to five key stages, linking each to a sexual driving force (libido). Positive or negative experiences at any one stage impacts our behaviour in later life.
Stage One: Oral (from 0 – 1 year)
The libido (sexual driving force) is focussed on sucking our mother’s breast, or a bottle.
The conflict at this stage centres around the process of weaning, and informs our relationship with independence.
Successful completion of the oral stage would be a child being weaned without trauma. This would enable that child to develop in to a healthy and independent adult.
Unsuccessful completion of this stage would be caused by an unpleasant or traumatic experience. For example, if the child is weaned too early, or if they were neglected and un-fed, left to cry without comfort. The theory suggests that a negative experience at this stage would lead to oral fixations in later life. This could be in the form of obsessively chewing gum, thumb-sucking, or addiction and substance abuse, i.e. persistent search for oral stimulation.
Stage Two: Anal (from 1 – 3 years)
The libido is focussed on withholding or expelling faeces.
The conflict at this stage is to do with pleasing or displeasing our parents during toilet training, and informs our relationship with authority.
Successful completion of this stage relates to being encouraged, praised and not rushed when learning how to control our bladders and bowels. This allows us to grow in to a confident adult who has a positive relationship with authority.
Unsuccessful completion of this stage could be caused by impatience and punishment when learning to use the toilet, or neglect and not being taught at all. The former may result in ‘retentive’ adults. They are uptight and anxious, obsessively tidy, punctual, and they pander to authority. Think: Monica Gellar. The latter may result in ‘repulsive’ or ‘expulsive’ adults. They are messy, disorganised, self-interested, and they rebel against authority.
Stage Three: Phallic (from 3 – 6 years)
The libido is focussed on the discovery of genitals. Worth nothing Freud doesn’t include female genitalia in this theory, instead focussing both genders on their relationship with the penis.
The conflict at this stage for boys is a growing sense of rivalry with their father. Their desire is to possess their mother and banish their father, known as the Oedipus Complex. They have an awareness that their father would overpower them and fear being punished for this want, known as Castration Anxiety.
The conflict at this stage for girls is… ‘penis envy’. The key to power and domination does not exist between their legs, and they are jealous.
Successful completion of this stage comes down to having a present and positive father figure, enabling children to grow in to secure adults with respect for both genders.
Should a child not experience this, little boys may grow in to men with no strong sense of ‘manhood’. They are fixated on their mothers, yet aggressive towards women. They compete with other men, yet are unsure of their sexuality. Little girls may have a persisting inferiority complex when it comes to men.
Stage Four: Latency (from 6 years – puberty)
The libido has got a few years off. There’s no sexual motivation at this stage, and there’s no real conflict.
It’s during latency that we’re busy developing our Superego and our focus is on finding our place in society, valuing and learning from same sex friends and idols.
Stage Five: Puberty
The libido reawakens as we start to develop an interest in sexual partners.
The conflict at puberty comes between our Id and our Superego.
A person who has moved through the five stages successfully and without trauma will have a strong Ego. They can mediate between the pull of the Id and the restraint of the Superego. Joy and discipline can be balanced, enabling a healthy and happy life with a strong moral code.
For those who have experienced trauma within these five stages, the Ego, Superego and Id are out of step. Some may have a noisy Superego, causing them to push down their wants and desires. Some may have a weak Ego and Superego, leaving the Id to run free causing havoc.
Freud’s belief was that if the experience at any one of these stages was traumatic, we develop unhealthy fixations in later life. These can be in the form of neurosis, dependency, addiction, and depression.
Freud theorised that if we were able to discover childhood trauma held at an unconscious level, we would be able to free ourselves of afflictions in adult life.
I was initially quite shocked at the sexualisation within this theory, especially when linked to children and babies. There are also parts of it that feel outdated, namely penis envy. I’d like to know if there was a more astute observation relating to the female experience at this stage.
I had awareness of some of the terms included in this theory – being ‘anal’, the Oedipus Complex – but I didn’t know their relation to Freud and the psychosexual stages.
Freud seems to put a lot of importance on early life experiences and how they shape us as adults. I’ve had different thoughts about the nature / nurture debate, explored in my previous post: Personal history (nature vs. nurture).
What do you think about Freud’s psychosexual theories? Does any of it ring true for you? Does it feel a bit out there?
Related blogs:
How Id, Superego & Ego influence you
Understanding Ego Defences: from repression to regression
Unblocking the unconscious for a brighter future
Living Intentionally 
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