The first stage, the oral stage, lasts for about the first 18 months of life. The mouth serves a dominant role in the infant’s life. It is the area from which needs such as feeding are met. The tongue, the main sensory organ at the time, is used to perceive objects (babies always tend to put everything in their mouth to feel what it is). It is also their way to express themselves, including crying, making sounds, biting, and spitting. The libidinal drive is evoked by the sucking of the nipples. If a person does successfully complete this stage, they are able to remain independent, not become extremely envious, and have a sense of self-confidence. Those who remain in the oral stage often become dependent on others, much as infants they were dependent on their mother for nutrition. They can have low self-confidence and always believe that what others have is better than what they can ever have. Some people will also fall into extremes of optimism or pessimism (Kaplan and Sadock, Synopsis of Psychiatry 214).
