Further to a conversation on hand sucking I thought I'd post this for you guys (after some gentle prodding ). I'm not quite a psychologist yet & I'm not claiming to be one by posting this, just passing on soming info from my textbooks. Also I'm not saying I agree with everything, just passing on the info.

Freud says that we have a libido which at different ages focuses on different parts of the body. If normal development is blocked or frustrated at any stage a fixation occurs.

ORAL STAGE Birth to about one year old.
The infant derives intense pleasure from the stimulation of the mouth, particularly when sucking. In the later part of the stage the infant begins to bite as well as suck. They like putting things in their mouth and gnawing on them. A person fixated at this stage continues to receive great pleasure from eating, drinking, kissing or smoking. Fixation is said to occur if the infant is weaned too quickly or nursed too long.

ANAL STAGE One to three years old.
The child gets pleasure from their bowel movements in this stage. They may enjoy the sensation of passing a bowel movement or holding it back. A person fixated at this stage goes through life in either of two ways - holding things back (being orderly, stingy, stubborn ie "anal") or less commonly being wasteful, messy & destructive. This fixation can be caused if toilet training is either to harsh or too lenient.

PHALLIC STAGE Three to five years old.
This is when the child becomes aware of what it means to be male or female, ie begins to play with their genitals. It's said that if parents teach children that touching themselves is shameful they can become fixated at this stage. Freud says that if a boy becomes fixated at this stage he will have a fear of castration & if a girl does, she will have "penis envy" - but it's hotly debated & generally disregarded.

LATENT PERIOD Five years old to adolescence.
Freud says that during this period most children lose their psychosexual interest & will play with peers of their own sex.

GENITAL STAGE Beginning at puberty.
Young people start to take an interest in the opposite sex during puberty. Freud says that nayone fixated at the earlier stages has little libido left for the genital stage. He says that those who have passed through the other stages without a fixation can now derive their primary satisfaction from sexual intercourse.