Sigmund Freud got the name for the Oedipal complex from the ancient Greek myth of Oedipus,
a king of Athens cursed by the gods for killing his father and marrying his mother.
Freud used the term “Oedipus complex” to describe a sibling’s desire for their opposite-sex parent.
Freud’s theory states that sons may feel strange feelings toward their mother that they don’t toward their father.
Some therapists speculate that this may be due to breastfeeding, including prolonged breastfeeding into the toddler years.
However, there isn’t scientific evidence to support that breastfeeding can lead to Oedipal desires.
