Libido << luh BEE doh >> is a psychoanalytic term referring mainly to the energy of natural instincts or urges that motivate behavior. Austrian physician Sigmund Freud was the first to use the term.
Some psychoanalysts believe that the libido develops through certain stages. In the oral phase, the infant derives pleasure from such activities as sucking and biting. In the anal phase, the child obtains satisfaction and interest in bowel control. In the genital phase, sexual instincts are organized for the purposes of love and sexual reproduction. Some psychoanalysts believe problems in the development of the libido and its expression can cause character disorders and symptoms of the milder mental illnesses called neuroses.
See also Psychoanalysis and its Related Articles.
