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I have tried to show the continuity in a series of phantasies over three menstrual cycles. The main feature in this sequence was that the patient's anxiety, of a persecutory nature at first, diminished and became mainly depressive in quality. With the lessening of anxiety, the patient's symptoms of pain in menstruation disappeared, and she was able to allow herself to fall in love. During the first menstrual period
the patient felt herself to be permeated by a to and fro movement of shapeless objects which appeared as vague outlines, and which she described as 'someone', 'everyone', 'anything', etc. She felt herself split into a community of 'someones', whilst I was perceived as the double of the shapeless internal objects. Persecution was experienced during the second menstrual period, by a host of controlling and controlled objects. These objects—the duellists—had human characteristics. At the same time a less drastic control and an increasing concern for the good object could be observed in that a much earlier phantasy about a weed changed to a greater interest in good flowers. The third menstrual period ushered in an object-relationship characterized by a loving attitude and a sharing of experiences with an object while remaining at the same time comparatively free and independent of it.