Genital

• The Genital Stage is the fifth and final phase of Freud’s psychosexual development theory, beginning at puberty and lasting into adulthood
• During this stage, the libido re-emerges after its latent period and is directed towards peers of the other sex, marking the onset of mature adult sexuality
• During this stage, individuals start to become sexually mature and begin to explore their sexual feelings and desires more maturely and responsibly
• This period marks the onset of romantic and sexual emotions, leading to the formation of intimate relationships
• Sexual instinct is directed to heterosexual pleasure, rather than self-pleasure, like during the phallic stage
• An example of this stage would be a teenager who begins to experience sexual attraction and begins to explore their sexuality
• As they mature physically, they develop deeper romantic interests and sexual attractions toward others
• This stage isn’t just about sexual attraction, but also about forming meaningful emotional bonds with others
• problems that emerge in this stage are carried over from earlier stages