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DR. EIGEN'S TELLING CRITIQUE of Glatzer and Evan's 1977 paper on Guntrip's personal psychoanalyses raises salient questions of clinical practice. Based on extensive conversations I had with Guntrip, I would like to comment on some of these matters. When we met in 1972, three years before his death, Guntrip was rethinking his approaches to psychoanalytic theory and engagement.
First I should like to comment on Eigen's statement that Guntrip's "major presenting symptom—a background sense of unreality—was apparently marginal, one most people would put up with or try to ignore." Guntrip did not journey seven hours north to Edinburgh for double sessions with Fairbairn, and later seven hours south to London for his meetings with Winnicott, year in and year out, because of "marginal" difficulties. The sad reality is that he felt profoundly disturbed and often endured agonizing fear, paralyzing depression and states of complete loneliness. Guntrip made no secret of this. When I remarked that his writings about the schizoid state were graphic, he replied, "Well, it's all first hand, I know what it is." He described an acute sense of feeling shut in, trapped and lifeless that was imperative to rectify.
Our meeting followed a rewarding collaboration on a writing project. He had the talent of making the other person feel warmly acknowledged for his contributions. And in person he was exceptionally considerate and generous. I had taken the train up from London and Guntrip met me at the railroad station in Leeds. His