The Return of the Repressed

Freud's theory involves the idea that the unconscious thought/feeling would constantly press for access to the executive fictions of the mind in order to be discharged. The Ego would be on constant alert to prevent the direct expression of the forbidden idea but the idea would find a disguise and surface as a symptom. This is known as 'The Return of the Repressed'. For example, an only child's parents are expecting the arrival of another baby; a younger sibling. The only child would be used to havign it's parents complete attention and being the centre of their world. Once a new brother/sister is born, that child is aware that most of that attention will shift onto the younger more 'needy' child and their spotlight will be lost. Typically, there is a mix of love, excitement, and trepidation at the arrival of the new baby; when the child realizes the newcomer is going to get much of the attention that used to be all his, anger at the interloper ensues. The child then learns that open expressions of hostility are not met with approval by his parents. The anger goes underground and eventually becomes unconscious. Often, as part of that process, the child professes his overwhelming love for the baby (a defense known as "reaction formation" is involved); the unconscious anger toward the baby then reveals itself in the child's attempts to "love it to death." Wise parents do not leave 3 year olds alone with infants. Eventually, the child manages to find ways to deal with his anger in acceptable ways and ideally learns that his love for his sibling outweighs his childhood resentment. In cases where the growing child is never able to resolve the conflict between his anger and attendant wishes to do away with his sibling and his guilt and shame over such terrible and unacceptable feelings, the anger remains in the unconscious mind, forever looking for ways to express itself.