Neurotic Camouflage and Thought-Rehearsal1

It is almost 35 years since Freud was able to write with justification that the phenomenology of the obsessional neurosis was not yet adequately understood and described. In spite of the fact that subsequent analytic investigation has extensively increased our knowledge of this neurosis, I venture to say that even today large sections are quite unknown or, at least, inadequately described in analytic literature. One such feature common to all obsessional neurotics is a typical bit of behavior in their social life at a certain phase of their neurosis. It will here be described and evaluated as to its psychological conditioning.

Psychological differences in the neuroses show up also as characteristic differences of social behavior. We are reminded of the “belle indifference” ascribed to the hysteric by the older French psychiatrists or of the melusinalike solitariness to which the obsessional individual is driven by conscience to carry out his ceremonials. To these will now be added another variety of social behavior, not less interesting in that it is related by many bonds to the social conduct of the normal individual. This is the very special way in which the obsessional person carries out in hidden fashion or under some altered form his system, his obsessional acts or ceremonial. It is easy to confuse this behavior with typical kinds which analysis has conceptualized and found names for, in particular with “dissimulation” in the general psychiatric sense and “rationalization” in the particular analytic sense. The following description will show that the typical behaviour I wish to characterize has only superficial points of resemblance to these ways of reacting. In its form and psychological content it decidedly differs.

I shall give immediately a beautiful representative instance, certainly the most beautiful example known to me. An obsessional neurotic had the compulsion to step out with the right foot when