What is the Electra complex in the psychology of women?

Electra's complex in the psychology of women is common problem, which is not to speak out loud.

This pathology has been known since ancient times and it still has not lost its relevance.

The complex originates in early childhood and prevents a woman as an adult from building a normal family. Fortunately, with the right approach The situation is amenable to correction.

Syndrome Electra and Oedipus complex

Oedipus complex and Electra syndrome is identical concepts.

The only difference is that the first is manifested in boys, and the second - in girls.

The problem goes back to the days of ancient Greece. According to legend, Prince Oedipus killed his father and married his own mother.

According to the legend of Electra, the girl loved her father very much, after his death, she could not come to terms with the situation and asked her brother to kill their mother and her lover, because she considered them to be the culprits of the death of her father.

Thus, such concepts were born in psychoanalysis as Electra Syndrome and the Oedipus complex. The first was described by Carl Gustav Jung, the first - by Sigmund Freud.

These pathologies mean a subconscious sexual attraction to the parent: the boy to the mother, the girl to the father.

Have a boy against the background of unhealthy love for the mother develops hostility and hatred of the father, rivalry. Mother for him - the ideal of femininity, sexuality. However, the child can not show these feelings because of the fear of punishment.

The girl has similar feelings towards her father. And between her and her mother, her family feelings weaken and develop into hatred. In the mother, she sees a rival, claiming the love of his father.

Freud considered the Oedipus complex paramount in the development of psychosexual development of manand many psychologists agree with him.

Signs and psychological portrait

Electra syndrome begins to manifest itself in a girl already in 3-4 years.

Suspected pathology can be on the following grounds:

Baby girl prefers father's society. Although at a younger age, children are more attached to the mother, because she feeds them and cares for them.
The girl constantly shows mother aggressioncriticizes her.
After a long absence of parents, the child rejoices father, not mother.
The girl wants her father to teach her "Male" pursuits: fishing, hunting, sports, etc. The lessons of the mother cause her rejection.
Jealousy of the father. Baby Shows discontentwhen parents embrace, hold hands. Also she offendedIf the father gives gifts to his mother, not her.
Grown up girl continues require father's attention, and on the requests and comments of the mother shows indifference or aggression.
Such a girl hard to find a groomthey all do not compare with the father. She either continues to live with her parents, or finds a man much older than her to feel like a little girl with him.

Boys with Oedipus complex also cannot create high-grade families.

These are the so-called "mama's boys", dependent on the mother.

Often, such men are even angry with their mother for their failed life, but cannot recognize the existence of a problem.

Development Background

Electra syndrome and the Oedipus complex do not develop in all children. This happens under the influence of some factors. Psychologists highlight the general background for the development of pathology:

Lack of attention from parents. Children are trying to earn love.
Stress in early childhood. This usually occurs at the birth of a brother or sister who takes the full attention of parents.
Constant quarrel and family conflicts. The child considers their mother or father guilty of them.
Raising a child in an incomplete family. The parent is entirely due to the child, so the appearance of the opponent is perceived very sharply.

What is the fault of the parents?

Psychologists note a big share of the guilt of the parents in the development of these pathologies.

Often a problem arises when the parents wanted the boy to be born, and a girl appeared.

Then the baby is trying to prove that she will be no worse, trying to win love father's

The next factor is divorceespecially if the initiator was a mother. The girl believes that her father is unhappy, needs love and care, so she subconsciously tries to replace his wife.

If, after the divorce, the child continues to meet with the father, the situation is aggravated. Meeting with father - this is a holiday, gifts, entertainment. Mother on this background looks grumpy and unhappy, constantly making comments.

Oddly enough, the father’s too strong love and care also turns out to be evil.

The father constantly monitors his daughter's behavior, does not allow her to meet with friends, does not allow her to dress as she wants. This leads to the fact that the girl develops a complex and she afraid to be feminine and sexy.

Also prerequisites for the development of Electra syndrome become:

Permanent employment of the mother when the girl has to spend a lot of time with her father.
Inconsistency of parents in education. For example, the mother scolds the child, and the father regrets.
Constant quarrels in the family. Often, the mother "takes out" anger and resentment at her husband for her daughter, accuses her of having to live with her husband just for the sake of the child.
The death of a father with whom the girl had a relationship of trust.

Freud theory

Sigmund Freud in his own way described the theory of the appearance of Electra syndrome. First, he denied the term itself, preferring to call pathology "The female version of the Oedipus complex".

The psychoanalyst believed that a child up to a certain age was tied to both parents equally. Then the girl discovers that she lacks the same genital organ as men, so she appears Penis envy.

First, the daughter is experiencing sexual desire for fatherwants to get pregnant from him. Then she begins to blame the mother for having given birth to her as an “inferior” person.

The desire to be a man remains with the girl for a long time and gives rise to her feeling of her own imperfection.

This interpretation of the development of female sexuality was not supported by all psychoanalysts.

Opinion Nancy Cather

Nancy Cather is a lawyer and psychologist, author of the book "Complex Electra in the psychology of women".

According to N.Kater, a psychological portrait of a woman with Electra syndrome looks like this.

She is can't psychologically mature because of unresolved issues with his father. After the divorce, the mother can not survive his pain angry at the daughter for the fact that she continues to love him.

It becomes reason for misunderstanding between mother and daughterwhich increases when the mother remarries.

The girl goes into the world of fantasies and illusions, waiting for one day a prince who looks like her father will appear and take her to a fairy tale. Such fantasies complicate relationships with men, become obstacles to career growth.

What is the danger?

Unlike boys, whose full-fledged Oedipus complex develops infrequently and not deeply, women suffer much from this problem.

Hatred of the mother acquires such a scale that it can give rise to thoughts about the killing of the "rival". Also, because of unfulfilled desires, these girls often commit suicide.

In adulthood, the Electra complex causes nervous breakdowns, mental disorders, phobias, etc. A woman can not find a companion, so she lives alone.

Manifestation phenomenon in adult women

If the girl could not overcome this complex in childhood, then the problem will hinder her all her life.

These girls are looking for men like father.

He must be strong, caring, able to protect her from all problems.

More often women choose adult men who are close in age to their father. In achieving their goals, such women do not disdain anything.

They pursue a man, trying to discourage him from the family, using threats, blackmail. However, having achieved their, they do not experience happiness.

Women with the Electra complex are usually independent, emancipated. They choose male professions, build a career. She has no girlfriends, but there are a lot of male friends.

How to solve a problem?

To overcome the complex is required to undergo treatment by a psychotherapist. First of all, a woman should realize her own problem and be willing to get rid of it.

According to psychologists, deliverance consists of the following steps:

let go of father. You need to openly express your anger and resentment towards your father, accept your loss and move on;
stop idealizing father. It must be understood that he also has negative sides;
recognize your femininity. You should accept your resemblance to your mother, try to build a relationship with her. Also, a woman needs to communicate more with other women, to find friends.