A Short Study of the Development of the Libido, Viewed in the Light of Mental Disorders

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July 13, 2026

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Karl Abraham's A Short Study of the Development of the Libido, Viewed in the Light of Mental Disorders explores the connection between infant sexuality and character development, as well as mental illness. Abraham, a psychoanalyst influenced by Sigmund Freud, proposed that the libido, or sexual drive, develops through six stages: oral, oral-sadistic, anal retentive, anal expulsive, phallic, and adult genital. He theorized that if a child's development is arrested at an early stage, it can lead to a libidinal fixation, resulting in mental disorders. This work aligns with Freudian psychology, which views personality as shaped by early experiences and the conflict between drives and defenses.123

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Karl Abraham
…Psychoanalyse seelischer Störungen (1924; A Short Study of the Development of the Libido, Viewed in the Light of Mental Disorders), appeared in English in his Selected Papers (1953). “Character-Formation on the Genital Level of Libido-Development,” also contained in the Selected Papers, is a translation of his last major paper (1925).
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…Psychoanalyse seelischer Störungen (1924; A Short Study of the Development of the Libido, Viewed in the Light of Mental Disorders), appeared in English in his Selected Papers (1953). “Character-Formation on the Genital Level of Libido-Development,” also contained in the Selected Papers, is a translation of his last major paper (1925).
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