The Case of Little Hans
Tabatha Coots
Psychology 410
January 20, 2014
Dr. Kristi Lane

The Case of Little Hans
Anxiety disorders are a reaction that occurs among individuals when he or she experiences a threatening situation. This feeling increases once the adrenaline escapes the persons and causes him or her stress. A phobia can be developed in a terrible situation that leads up to fear. Phobias are types of anxiety disorder that are commonly known. The symptoms that an individual may experience: pounding heart, difficulty breathing, dizziness, chest pain, shaking, sweating, choking, nausea, depersonalization, numbness, fear of dying, flushes, fear of going crazy. According to study’s anxiety disorder is a more common mental illness among adults. “Some disorders formerly referred to as transient situational disturbances known among the anxiety disorders in the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder (a new addition in DSMIV-TR) categories” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 31).
Little Hans was an important case study of Freud’s that was intriguing. Little Hans was a young little boy that had a fear of horses. However, the effect was a small amount of the information that was to examine the elements of the person’s fear that lead up to his remission. In 1909, the Oedipus complex was about the idea of Freud’s was to explain his theory. Therefore, Freud explored his theory on why Hans was scared of horses. Hans father was knowledgeable of Freud’s theory and wrote to him to tell him about his son. “By studying a child, Freud strengthened his conviction that people are born with universal conflicting urges that form the basis of neuroses” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 32).
Anxiety is a familiar condition relating to panic attacks, phobias, and (GAD) general anxiety disorders. These disorders start from the extreme fear that comes behind a physical symptom of anxiety. Little Hans was a participant of Sigmund Freud’s complicated study of castration anxiety and the Oedipus. The clinical material of treatment that was done on little Hans supported Freud’s theory on infantile sexuality. “Freud believed the phobia was cured when Hans was presented with and understood the reasons for his fears”(Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 32). The Case Study
In this case study of Little Hans was a theory of childhood sexuality, the Oedipal complex, and the origins of neuroses. This increased the physical stress in many situations throughout Little Hans normal lifestyle. Components of the Disorder
The biological element of Anxiety reveals the purpose of an “unpleasant emotions characterized by a general sense of danger, dread, and physiological arousal” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 115). The following symptoms include cognitive, physical, emotional, and motivational components that vary according to life events. Little Hans was a boy who had a fascination with his “widdler” and of other people. Hans had many dream because of what his mother and father had told him. Therefore, the sexual arousal became more extreme that followed the origin of Little Hans phobia. “The libidinal longing is transformed into anxiety” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 33).
Emotional Components The emotional stress is the factor can also be crucial to the personal life. The psychological affects are the result of suffering or pain of a loved one. In Little Hans case, his parents caused hid anxiety disorder. This was a tragic event in Little Hans life that had troubled him with fear and anxiety. Freud believed that a child that experiences emotional conflicts the child would be troubled. “Freud referred to the information that
Hans’s father shared with his son about his penis and wishing to sleep with his mother as “enlightenment,” which Hans just needed to accept in order to recover” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 33). Cognitive Component Cognitive Psychology is the case study of Little Hans who had suffered from an anxiety that had caused many of his