Fixation At Oral Stage

Having mentioned FIXATION above, does eating kiddie meals all the time ... a sign of progression? No way Jose. If you are an adult obsessed with wanting a kiddie meal ... the behavior is retreating back or retrogressing. Not unless you are that type of person who wants to save (not spend on adult meals) and manage to convince everyone that you are stuck with kids' stuff.

Let's define some terms. A fixation is going backward or a retreat to an earlier psychosexual stage. So if you are twelve years old and you are constantly regressing to a behavior of a 2-year-old then something is wrong. Until this behavioral conflict is resolved, the individual will remain "STUCK" in this stage. If the conflict is not resolved ... the person will definitely have CARRY OVER behavior as he becomes an adult.

According to Sigmund Freud, there are five psychosexual stages: the oral, the anal, the phallic, the latent, and the genital.  The erogenous zones associated with each stage serve as a source of PLEASURE. Being unsatisfied (or over-satisfied) at any particular stage can result in FIXATION. On the other hand, being satisfied can result in a healthy personality.

1. The Oral Stage - The oral stage covers the time from birth to 18 months. In this stage, an infant gets most of their PLEASURE from their MOUTH which is their erogenous zone at this stage. Hallmark activities and behaviors are eating, breastfeeding, toe-sucking, and thumb-sucking. Freud believed an infant can develop oral fixation if their oral needs weren't met and gratified ... it can happen also when they are overly satisfied. 

Too much or too little gratification is a problem and can result in an Oral Fixation or Oral Personality which is evidenced by a preoccupation with oral activities.

A. Oral Stage task -  The infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities like sucking or tasting. Since the helpless infants' only means of interacting with the world is through their mouths, Freud thought this is where the libido is focused. With the rooting and sucking reflex, breastfeeding, biting, and tasting anything, the oral stage task is all about satisfying the id's need through the mouth.

B. Oral Stage Erogenous zone - The mouth

b. Fixation at the Oral Stage - If the infant's oral gratification is faulty like the baby crying for hours and feeding was late ... or the baby was left to a yaya and babies needs were ignored ... then a possible fixation can happen.  Behaviors in adults showing signs of fixation in the oral stage are overeating, thumb sucking, nail biting, drinking, compulsive use of toothpicks, and gum-chewing.

c. Carry-over behaviors in the oral stage are adults doing the baby talk, alcoholism, and smoking.  

If the baby has overly abundant oral satisfaction, when they become adults ... they may continue to be overly dependent on others (as the baby is to their mom or yaya), be gullible, develop “clinging” dependent interpersonal relationships, and be overly optimistic that his/her needs may be met.

Oral personalities engage in such oral behaviors, particularly when under stress (over-eating, smoking, nail-biting, thumb-sucking.

A healthy personality in adulthood is dependent upon all these childhood stages being resolved successfully.  If an issue is not resolved in a stage, then fixation will occur resulting in an unhealthy personality.