Electra complex

Oedipus complex, according to Freud, is insexual attraction to the mother, which is combined with hostile zealous feelings towards the father (of course, this is only a simplified representation of this complex). Initially, under this name, Freud meant similar complexes in children of both sexes. But Carl Gustav Jung proposed a similar complex for girls to name the complex Electra.

At the age of 3 years, the children develop a sexualself-identification - the child begins to realize himself as a representative of the male or female sex. At this age, some girls develop the Electra complex, which consists of unconscious attraction to the father and the perception of the mother as a rival.

Freud believed that initially girls in equaldegrees are attached to the mother and father. But when the girl begins to realize the difference between the sexes and discovers that she does not have a penis, she considers the mother to be the culprit of this: it was her mother who gave birth to her "inferior". According to Freud, the girl begins to experience sexual attraction to her father and even the desire to get pregnant from him, believing that this will help to compensate for the absence of the penis. A mother she perceives as a rival in the struggle for the attention of his father.

Of course, at the age of three, it's hard to talk about a conscious sexual attraction. Therefore, most often the Electra complex is manifested in the fact that the girl is attached to her father more strongly than to the mother, idealizes him. At this age, parents can not evenTo notice, in due course such "skew" in attachments will be smoothed out, but the Electra complex can "float" during puberty. Often, the Electra complex develops in girls who lack attention from their father, as well as in families where the father is too strict with regard to the child.

The Elektra complex can have an impact on the personal life of an already adult girl. Often, women with this complex prefer to meet with men much older than them by age. If the relationship with the father was good, the womanwill look for a partner in his features. If there is no mutual understanding with the father, the woman will try to compensate for this with a relationship with a more mature partner, assuming the role of daughter.

Of course, it's good if the father is a worthy role model. But often girls with a complex Electra too idealize his father, in the end, no man falls short of the bar they put, and after one part follows another. And if a woman unconsciously searches for a partnernot only positive, but also negative qualities of the father, she will repeatedly step on the same rake. In any case, with happiness in her personal life, she will have problems.

It is very difficult to "catch" the Electra complex at the initial stage of its formation, so To fight with its negative manifestations will have in adolescence. And here, very importantactions of both parents. Often, the Elektra complex during adolescence manifests itself in conflicts with the mother: it is aggravated by the teenage crisis, and jealousy to the mother is combined with the adolescent need for self-assertion and rebellion. Therefore, it is very important that both the father and mother determine the correct line of conduct.

Conflicting with her mother, the girl will look in the father of the ally and try to manipulate him to get the desired. Father's love should not be a hindrancecommon sense: it is very important to "snap" attempts at manipulation in time. It is necessary to determine the boundaries in the relationship with the daughter and not overstep them. This does not mean that you need to stop talking to her; just in the conflicts between the daughter and the mother it is necessary to support the one who is really right or to remain neutral.

The Elektra complex can not only bring a lot of troubles in adolescence, but also impose an imprint on the entire life of the girl. To overcome it, it is necessary to remove the father from the pedestal and cease to idealize him. You have to learn to be independent, not rely on your father. And personal life should also be built independently, not trusting his father with intimate secrets.