Psychological Fixations and How They Form

A fixation is an obsessive drive that may or may not be acted on involving an object, concept, or person.

Initially introduced by Sigmund Freud, a fixation is a persistent focus of the id’s pleasure-seeking energies at an early stage of psychosexual development. Oral, anal, and phallic fixations occur when an issue or conflict in a psychosexual stage remains unresolved, leaving the individual focused on this stage and unable to move onto the next.

For example, individuals with oral fixations may have problems with drinking, smoking, eating, or nail-biting.

How Fixations Develop

According to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, children develop through a series of psychosexual stages during which the id’s libidinal energies become focused on different areas of the body.

During the anal stage, for example, a child supposedly gains a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment by controlling his or her bladder and bowel movements. So what does this have to do with the development of a fixation?

Freud believed that the development of a healthy adult personality was the result of successfully completing each of the psychosexual stages. At each point in development, children face a conflict that must be resolved in order to move on successfully to the next stage. How this conflict is resolved plays a role in the formation of adult personality.

Failing to successfully complete a stage, Freud suggested, would cause that person to remain essentially “stuck.” In other words, they would become fixated at that point in development. Freud also believed that fixations could result if a particular stage left a dominant impression on an individual's personality.

Resolving the psychosexual conflicts requires a considerable amount of the libido’s energy. If a great deal of this energy is expended at a particular point in development, the events of that stage may ultimately leave a stronger impression on that individual’s personality.

Examples of Fixations

There are multiple ways the three fixations mentioned above may manifest in different individuals.

Oral Fixations

The oral stage tends to occur between birth and around 18 months old, during which time the oral (feeding) needs of the child are either met, overstimulated, or unmet. For example, Freud might suggest that if a child has issues during the weaning process, they might develop an oral fixation.

Freud may also suggest that nail-biting, smoking, gum-chewing, and excessive drinking are signs of an oral fixation. This would indicate that the individual did not resolve the primary conflicts during the earliest stage of psychosexual development, the oral stage.

Anal Fixations

The second stage of psychosexual development is known as the anal stage because it is primarily focused on controlling bowel movements. Fixations at this point in development can lead to what Freud called anal-retentive and anal-expulsive personalities.

• Anal-retentive individuals: This group may have experienced overly strict and harsh potty training as children and may grow overly obsessed with orderliness and tidiness.
• Anal-expulsive individuals: On the other hand, anal-expulsive individuals may have experienced very lax potty training, resulting in them being very messy and disorganized as adults.

In either case, both types of fixations result from not correctly resolving the critical conflict that takes place during this stage of development.

Phallic Fixations

The phallic stage of development is primarily focused on their desire for attention from the opposite-sex parent and a sense of jealousy and competition with the same-sex parent for that attention. Freud suggested that fixations at this point could lead to adult personalities that are overly vain, exhibitionistic, and sexually aggressive.

At this stage, boys may develop what Freud referred to as an Oedipus complex. Girls may develop an analogous issue known as an Electra complex. If not resolved, these complexes may linger and continue to affect behavior into adulthood.

Treatments for Fixation

So how exactly are fixations resolved? According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, the process of transference plays an important role in treating such fixations. Essentially, an old fixation is transferred to a new one, allowing the person to consciously deal with the problem.

Therapy

The goal of psychoanalytic therapy is to utilize the process of transference to release the energies of fixations. The therapist may discuss with their client patterns of reactions and attitudes that they observe their client unconsciously projecting onto them. This allows them to help their client bring their unconscious feelings from their past into conscious awareness.

If you aren't one for psychoanalytic methods, remember that the most effective therapeutic outcomes reflect the client/therapist relationship, not the therapist's theory or methods. If you do opt to see a therapist, be sure you feel comfortable around them and trust them.

Other therapeutic methods to consider are various behavior, cognitive, and cognitive-behavioral therapies to develop newer, more productive thought and behavior patterns:

• Attachment therapy may be used to explore how childhood experiences have impacted one's abilities to form bonds and develop relationships as adults.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be used to address the thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns that the client would like to shift.
• Dialectical behavior therapy is geared toward helping people learn to cope with stress, regulate emotions, and establish healthy, stable relationships.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) may be a helpful option for individuals who have experienced previous traumatic experiences.
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) can be a great option for those who prefer to do therapeutic work outdoors versus in an office setting.
• Trauma-centered therapeutic methods: These may include a combination of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.

Keep in mind that many therapists take an eclectic approach to selecting their treatment framework.

Self-Help

Depending on the complexity of the issue you would like to work on, there are various techniques you can try on your own. These include:

• Mindfulness: This method may be used to help connect with your body, develop deeper insight into your own thought process, and may also reduce stress.
• Physical activity: Exercising regularly may help reduce overall stress and be used as a way to replace nervous habits you'd like to shift, such as nail biting or smoking.
• Relaxation techniques: Various relaxation methods, including progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and breathing exercises, may help reduce stress, ease tension, and refocus your energy inward.
• Journaling: Getting into the habit of journaling may help you reflect on your specific fixation and better understand how your fixation impacts your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• Affirmations: Reciting positive affirmations to yourself or writing them down may help you re-focus your energy on your strengths.

Challenging Freudian Perspectives

Fixations were critical to Freudian and many neo-Freudian theories. One major problem is that while early theorists connected fixations to specific childhood events, linking adult fixations, such as nail-biting, to a specific triggering conflict in early childhood is difficult or impossible.

Final Thoughts

If you do have problematic nervous habits, obsessive behaviors, or fixations on a particular object, there are things that you can do to overcome such tendencies. There are different therapeutic methods and self-help strategies to help you develop newer, more productive thought and behavior patterns.