Libido
- "Sex drive" redirects here. For other uses, see Sex drive (disambiguation). For other uses, see Libido (disambiguation).
| a series of articles on |
| Psychoanalysis |
|---|
|
Concepts
Psychosexual development
Psychosocial development Unconscious · Preconscious Consciousness Psychic apparatus Id, ego and super-ego Drive Transference Countertransference Resistance Projection · Denial |
|
Important figures
Michael Balint
Wilfred Bion · Josef Breuer Nancy Chodorow · Erik Erikson Ronald Fairbairn · Sándor Ferenczi Anna Freud · Sigmund Freud Erich Fromm · Harry Guntrip Karen Horney · Ernest Jones Carl Jung · Melanie Klein Heinz Kohut · Jacques Lacan Margaret Mahler Otto Rank · Wilhelm Reich Harry Stack Sullivan Susan Sutherland Isaacs Donald Winnicott |
|
Important works
The Interpretation of Dreams
Beyond the Pleasure Principle |
|
Schools of thought
|
| Psychology portal |
|
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. Sex drive has usually biological, psychological, and social components. Biologically, levels of hormones such as testosterone are believed to affect sex drive; social factors, such as work and family, also have an impact; as do internal psychological factors, like personality and stress. Sex drive may be affected by medical conditions, medications, lifestyle and relationship issues. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly increased sex drive may be experiencing hypersexuality, but there is no measure of what is a healthy level for sex. Asexual people may lack any sexual desires.
A person may have a desire for sex but not have the opportunity to act on that desire, or may on personal, moral or religious reasons refrain from acting on the urge. Psychologically, a person's urge can be repressed or sublimated. On the other hand, a person can engage in sexual activity without an actual desire for it. Males reach the peak of their sex drive in their teens, while women reach it in their thirties.3
Contents
|
History of the concept
Sigmund Freud popularized the term4
Freud viewed libido as passing through a series of developmental stages within the individual. Failure to adequately adapt to the demands of these different stages could result in libidinal energy becoming 'dammed up' or