PSYCHOANALYSIS AND BEHAVIOR-THERAPY - THE FREUDIAN ERROR

The curious case of addiction to Freudian theories and practices which afflicted the great majority of psychiatrists, psychologists and philosophers is over. Most have by now discovered that psychoanalysis as a method of treatment simply does not work, and is not superior to no treatment at all-the latest meta-analysis of 19 studies comparing psychoanalytic treatment with no treatment at all found no difference in outcome. Freudian theories have been tested experimentally and found wanting; the great majority of studies have come out negatively, and those with positive outcomes are subject to damaging criticism. Freud's own accounts of his therapeutic efforts and of his life history, have been found to be untrustworthy, unreliable and lacking in truthfulness. It is becoming widely recognized that he set back psychology and psychiatry some 50 years, and prevented the growth of properly scientific theories and methods of treatment. Seldom in the history of science has one man, hailed as a genius, done so much harm to the discipline in which he worked.