Karen Horney Application of Karen

Karen Horney

Application of Karen Horney's Theory of Self and Neurosis in Experiencing Personal Conflict or Anxiety

Psychoanalysis as a major field in the study of psychology has developed, over the years, to a great extent, wherein developments are created, increasing extant literature on psychoanalysis, during and even after Sigmund Freud's prime as the lead psychoanalytic psychologist of the modern human society.

Among these "developments" in the field of psychoanalysis is the creation of the neo-Freudian movement, which was coined to describe the development of psychoanalysis, serving as an alternative but "offspring" discipline of Freud's psychoanalytical movement. One of neo-Freudianism's proponents is Karen Horney, noted German-American psychiatrist who provided a different perspective in discussing the psychoanalytical roots and discussions of abnormal behavior exhibited and still unexplored in human society.

Among Horney's contributions to the field of psychoanalysis is her study of the occurrence of neurosis among individuals, tracing its roots from childhood towards its intensification in adulthood. At a more general level, she also delved into the study of the individual per se, creating a 'theory of the self,' which explains the psyche, motivations, and perceived significance of the individual in the context of his/her society.

Given these contributions and new ideas on psychoanalysis, this paper provides a discussion of Horney's theories and concepts concerning anxiety, self-development, and self-awareness. The discussion and analysis is based on the application of Horney's ideas to my experiences, specifically relating her ideas to my personal development as an individual, facing common experiences of anxiety and conflict.

Horney's analysis of neurosis involved a deeper look into its roots and development in the individual. Neurosis is analyzed in a different perspective, wherein she posited that more than abuse or neglect, it is parental indifference that serves as the catalyst that prompts the individual to develop attitudes and characteristics akin to neurosis. For Horney, an individual who felt loved and needed, at certain points in his/her life as a child, are better off developing into adulthood than children who never felt loved nor needed by their parents or loved-ones at all. The lack of feelings of being loved or needed makes the individual crave for attention, love, and reciprocated need from another person.

However, the process described is just the first phase that the neurotic individual goes through as s/he develops anxiety to neurosis due to his/her unfulfilled wants and needs. As the individual grows older, s/he increases his/her desire for attention and social recognition by the people s/he knows. Although there is a great need to seek other people's attention and approval, the neurotic individual also has the propensity to manipulate and gain control over other people, which is his/her way of demonstrating that s/he is not a needy person, that s/he can control people even though realistically, she knows that she is not in control of these individuals.

Ultimately, the neurotic individual, at the last stage of his/her neurosis, undergoes social detachment and isolation, no longer seeking approval nor attention, but instead with the intention to perfect one's self, in accordance to his/her perception of the "ideal self" -- what s/he should be, as s/he ascertained this ideal self to be.

Relevant to Horney's theory of neurosis is her theory of the self, which centers on the process of self-awareness as the key towards the achievement of self-actualization in life. For Horney, it is self-actualization that ultimately develops a healthy individual, wherein satisfaction of the basic needs of an individual, such as sense of belongingness and love, are satisfactorily met and felt by the individual. If these needs are not met, the individual can develop conflicting selves: the "ideal" and "real" selves, which creates an internal conflict within the individual. This conflict creates, not only dissatisfaction, but a general hatred of the 'real' self, especially if the person's perceived 'ideal' self dominates over the real one.

These ideas presented in Horney's psychoanalytical theories are noted to be attitudes and behavior displayed at its most extreme form by the individual. Although I do not exhibit extreme forms of this behavior, I consider myself to have had experienced "basic anxiety" as outlined in Horney's behavioral phases towards the development of neurosis.

As a college student, I am exposed to different pressures and stresses as I try to accomplish my commitments as a students and my need to cultivate social relations and interactions with other individuals, be these individuals relevant to my college life or not. As Horney had explicated, I experienced internal conflict during my first year in college, wherein I tried to develop my perception of the "ideal" self, both as a student and as an individual (in general). I wanted to be a "well-rounded" individual, a person well-liked by many people, have a high self-esteem, and accomplish things without seeming to work hard for it. However, this "ideal" self is not agreeable with my reality: I have to work hard to finish my regular requirements and studies in college, and I am not as "well-rounded" as I wanted to be, having only a small circle of close friends, and generally, being unpopular in my school.