# The "id", and reestablishing the ego and superego **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985 "2006-08-02T06:10:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/1 "2006-08-02T06:10:35Z")
My dear Teeming Millions, I’m working on a story and need your assistance. I’m trying to work with the Freudian concepts of the id, ego, and superego and need your inputs. I’m in a situation where one of the characters due to severe trauma has been stripped of her ego and superego, thus reducing her to the basic id. Essentially a frightened, angry child or animal. What I would like to know, is whether it would be possible, and if so how to rescue the character. What steps would have to be taken to reestablish her ego and superego? I’m guessing it would have to involve some forms of positive reenforcement, gaining her trust, providing her with concepts she can recognize as “safety”, “comfort”, “familiarity”, etc. If it’s a tight situation, such as the char attempting suicide under these circumstances, could anything be done “in the field” to bring her back enough to her senses to stabilize the situation in order to take her back to a safe environment where more thorough therapy and a gradual recovery can take place? All your input and thoughts on this (as well as any clarification) would be greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/2 "2006-08-02T11:11:07Z")
There are no “real” answers as of course Id, ego etc are hypothetical structures, which people have interpreted in many ways. Of course, I suspect you are looking for an “official” psychoanalytical answer for which a psychoanalyst will be able to supply. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/3 "2006-08-02T12:22:27Z")
Don’t try to leave the planet without her. ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/4 "2006-08-02T17:28:18Z")
Let me simplify the question then: from what I understand, if a person is reduced to just their ego, you would essentially end up with the equivalent of a frightened, angry, hysterical child. Reduced to their basic desires and needs, and lashing out in anger and defense. If this was due to some terrible, traumatic event, what would it take to reestablish their ego and superego? What steps could be taken to have the person take back their self control and recover? Would people significant to this person, say their fiancee, family, or best friends be able to have any positive impact or influence to diffuse the situation and help bring things under control? ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/5 "2006-08-02T17:32:54Z")
correction. Should say “if a person is reduced to just their id” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/6 "2006-08-02T17:41:58Z")
Re-socialization. It would begin with emotional support, similar to “mothering”. Gentle noises, cooing, & caressing, in the same way you would an infant. In fact, the process would _greatly resemble_ raising a child. However, as the Human Animal is highly resilient, I suspect that traces of the patient’s Ego & Superego would remain, mainfest themselves periodically, & assist in recovery. Take years though, even in a top-notch facility. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/7 "2006-08-02T21:45:44Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > There are no “real” answers as of course Id, ego etc are hypothetical structures, which people have interpreted in many ways. Of course, I suspect you are looking for an “official” psychoanalytical answer for which a psychoanalyst will be able to supply. Right - that’s the point. There’s no evidence that “id”, “ego”, and “superego” actually match “parts” of the mind. They’re just various somethings imagined by Freud; they don’t correspond to anything real. There’s no factual answer here, because psychoanalysis is not based upon facts. ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/8 "2006-08-03T01:02:47Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Right - that’s the point. There’s no evidence that “id”, “ego”, and “superego” actually match “parts” of the mind. They’re just various somethings imagined by Freud; they don’t correspond to anything real. There’s no factual answer here, because psychoanalysis is not based upon facts. But there’s gotta be some correspondance between this model and what is observed in real life. A victim of some type of traumatic event becoming hysterical, running away, huddling in a corner, and contemplating suicide. Wouldn’t that come close? ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/9 "2006-08-03T01:04:08Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > There are no “real” answers as of course Id, ego etc are hypothetical structures, which people have interpreted in many ways. Of course, I suspect you are looking for an “official” psychoanalytical answer for which a psychoanalyst will be able to supply. Perhaps not official answers but instead some practical information on how to diffuse a tense situation like this and save the person 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/10 "2006-08-03T01:09:13Z")
> [@ntcrawler](#): > > But there’s gotta be some correspondance between this model and what is observed in real life. A victim of some type of traumatic event becoming hysterical, running away, huddling in a corner, and contemplating suicide. > > Wouldn’t that come close? Freud just flat out made this stuff up (with the help of healthy doses of cocaine). His “theories” unfortunately caught on and derailed the development of psychiatry and psychology for decades but they are largely gone now. You might be able to find some truths in his writings much like you could with those of Nostradamus but I doubt that it is worth it. Freudian theories still have a place in literature but none in science. If you choose the literature route, you can make up whatever you want. If you want to base it on actual theories today, you would have to look at things like treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or maybe phobias. You will have to tell us which route you actually want to go. ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/11 "2006-08-03T01:17:20Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Freud just flat out made this stuff up (with the help of healthy doses of cocaine). His “theories” unfortunately caught on and derailed the development of psychiatry and psychology for decades but they are largely gone now. You might be able to find some truths in his writings much like you could with those of Nostradamus but I doubt that it is worth it. I understand. > [@](#): > > Freudian theories still have a place in literature but none in science. If you choose the literature route, you can make up whatever you want. If you want to base it on actual theories today, you would have to look at things like treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or maybe phobias. > > You will have to tell us which route you actually want to go. I’d like to keep it realistic and believable. I’m open to theories as long as I can make it believable and give a reasonable explanation as to what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what can be done about it. ``` Which route to go? I'd say a combination of post-traumatic stress disorder and paranoia. I start with someone who's been terribly hurt and dazed (loses her sense of reality) from what happened to her, and then it's made worse with the false realisation "Oh my God, they're all after me!!!!" ``` ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-id-and-reestablishing-the-ego-and-superego/366985/12 "2006-08-03T19:01:06Z")
Just make her paranoid schizophrenic, as that sounds more like what you had in mind than an id thing anyway.