A nurse is assisting with teaching a class about Freud's psychosexual stages. The nurse should reinforce that fixation at the oral stage of development can lead to which of the following conditions?

Choice A reason : Rationalization is a defense mechanism where an individual justifies behaviors or feelings with plausible but inaccurate explanations to avoid confronting the true underlying motives or facts. In this scenario, the client is rationalizing their failure to take medication by blaming their partner's forgetfulness, rather than accepting personal responsibility for their health management.

Choice B reason : Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person. If the client had accused their partner of being irresponsible with medication as a reflection of their own behavior, it would be an example of projection. However, in this case, the client is not projecting their own forgetfulness onto their partner but rather shifting the blame.

Choice C reason : Repression is an unconscious mechanism employed by the ego to keep disturbing or threatening thoughts from becoming conscious. It involves pushing uncomfortable thoughts or memories into the unconscious mind. The client's statement does not suggest they are unconsciously forgetting to take their medication; instead, they are consciously aware of their action and providing a justification for it.

Choice D reason : Regression is a return to earlier stages of development and abandoned forms of gratification belonging to them, prompted by dangers or conflicts arising at one of the later stages. A client demonstrating regression might exhibit childlike behaviors when faced with stress. The client's statement does not indicate a regression to more infantile behaviors or coping mechanisms.

Choice A reason : Inability to form healthy relationships is not typically associated with fixation at the oral stage of development. Freud's theory suggests that this issue is more related to the Oedipal conflict during the phallic stage, where the individual's interactions with parental figures shape their future relationships.

Choice B reason : Feelings of shame are generally associated with the anal stage of Freud's psychosexual development, where the child's experiences with toilet training can lead to outcomes that manifest as either excessive orderliness or messiness in adulthood, rather than shame, which is not directly linked to the oral stage.

Choice C reason : Bedwetting is not a condition associated with the oral stage of development. It is more related to the anal stage, where issues of control and independence are central, and bedwetting can be a manifestation of conflicts around toilet training.

Choice D reason : Overeating is a classic example of an oral stage fixation. According to Freud, if an individual's needs are not properly met during the oral stage (0–1 years), they may develop habits such as overeating or smoking to satisfy the residual need for oral stimulation.