The concept of anxiety in Freuds writings

Abstract

The theme anxiety probably appears in most of the writings of Sigmund Freud. Nevertheless, some of his work deals predominantly with this matter. It is the case, for instance, of some of the manuscripts and letters of Freud to Fliess, in particularly the manuscripts B, E, and G and the letter 18. Furthermore, the theme is treated with emphasis in writings such as "Obsessions and Phobias"(1895a), "The Justification for Detaching from Neurasthenia a Particular Symptom-Complexas 'Anxiery Neurosis" (1895b), and "Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety" (1926). The purpose of the present study is to analyze the concept of anxiety, as described in Freud's writings, since the first ideas proposed by the author, that gave origin to the description of the new clinical entity "anxiety neurosis", until the change in perspective which takes place with the publication of lnhibition, Symptoms and Anxiety, in 1926.