Obsessions And/or Obsessionality—Perspectives on a Psychoanalytic Treatment

AS I FIRST MET JACK in the waiting room of my office a little over a year ago, he approached me with the sort of deference usually reserved by the devout penitent for his beloved, though righteous, confessor. He sat down and avoided much eye contact but proceeded to dutifully confess the sins that had impelled him to finally arrange an appointment to enter treatment. He recently had semi-terminated a relationship of four years duration with a successful, talented and attractive young woman who loved him and wanted to get married. This wasn't the first time this had happened. Twice before he had become "frozen" as the question of commitment came up and twice before had ended "good" relationships. The same pattern permeated all corners of his life. He could not make up his mind. He could not commit himself.

Attempting to buy a new watch resulted in months of torturous ambivalence and self doubt. He could easily afford but was unable to buy a new watch. At work, he felt stuck in much the same fashion, a small cog lost in the pyramid of a mega-corporation, unable to take the risks necessary to distinguish himself though, as I later discovered, the reports of this inertness were somewhat exaggerated. It turned out he has actually had significant success at work and was one of only two people in the entire company to be sponsored for a prestigious executive degree program. Most of all, though, he feared his inability to commit himself to a relationship. He dreaded the potential of a lonely, desolate old age. This fear was what compelled him to seek treatment. He was referred