Book Description

"A Young Girl's Diary" (also known as "The Diary of Anna O." or "Case Histories II") is not written by Sigmund Freud. Instead, it is a case study and collection of clinical notes by Dr. Josef Breuer, a prominent Austrian physician, and psychiatrist, and Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. The diary belongs to a patient named Anna O., whose real name was Bertha Pappenheim. Bertha Pappenheim was a young woman who suffered from a range of psychological and physical symptoms, including hysteria and what was then referred to as "conversion disorder." She was one of the first patients to undergo psychoanalysis, and her treatment with Dr. Breuer laid the foundation for many psychoanalytic concepts developed by Freud and others. The diary is a compilation of Bertha's thoughts, experiences, and emotions during her treatment, as recorded by Dr. Breuer. It includes her descriptions of her symptoms, dreams, and associations, providing valuable insights into the early practice of psychoanalysis. While "A Young Girl's Diary" is not a work by Sigmund Freud, it is an important historical document in the development of psychoanalysis and the understanding of psychological disorders. Freud later built upon the insights gained from cases like Anna O.'s in his own works, such as "Studies on Hysteria" and "The Interpretation of Dreams."