In this text, which essentially constitutes the first comprehensive formulation, after the 1894 text, of the defense neuroses, Freud continues the psychiatric tradition of the time as well as Pier Jean's theories on the distinction between neuroses. Here, he is not interested in making a distinction between neurosis and psychosis, but in clearly defining the mechanism of hysteria, obsessive neurosis, and paranoia. All three cases fall under the defense neuroses in contrast to the actual neuroses (Aktualneurose). The actual neuroses owe their existence not to past psych conflicts, as is the case with defense neuroses, but to the present. Their symptoms are related to various dysfunctions of sexual activity.