Experiences with Analyses of Schizoid and Depressive Personalities

Since psychoanalytic therapy traditionally least often encounters schizoid and depressive personalities, an exchange of experiences in their treatment appears most worthwhile. Historically in the development of psychoanalysis, hysteria and compulsive neuroses were usually placed in the forefront since at that time they were socially determined, more frequent and the psychoanalytic method was therefore developed with them. These two neuroses were designated as “transference neuroses” and were differentiated from the “narcissistic neuroses,” the latter being considered from the outset more difficult to approach with the classical method due to deficiency or limitation of capacity for emotional transference or other transference attempts from which patients with such neuroses appeared closer to psychoses.

If one approached the narcissistic neuroses with the tools of classic psychoanalysis, the analysis then often came to nothing or, after a few hours, the patient stayed away. Still, in my training period during the thirties and later when considering the institute statistics, this thought was formulated: the patient broke off analysis because no transference took place. On the basis of such formulations and failures, including my own, there first occurred to me the question whether one must not perhaps vary the method with narcissistic neuroses. Should one merely analyze longer and deeper, continuing the classical technique and not give up hope too soon in order to get near earliest memmories? Or, should one vary the method itself and eventually modify it specifically to fit the neuroses, since one cannot expect the experiences gained from the transference neuroses to apply directly to narcissistic neuroses?

With the classical method, one gathered from the transference neuroses rich material that was also easier to verify. But with the narcissistic neuroses, the situation was something else. We have little real knowledge concerning the dream-like, vegetative and unconsci