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A deviant form of the beginning analytic process is described in the analysis of a 33-year-old businessman, who experienced acute and chronic threats of annihilation throughout his latency years in World War II, due to intensive bombardments of his native city and the constant stress of impending deportation because of his Jewish father. The analysis started with the presentation of material from the oedipal phase, which very soon turned out to be a defence against anxiety and shame concerning conflicts in adolescence, when he had tried to solve his masturbation conflict by actively listening at the door of the parental bedroom while his parents were having intercourse. When this had been worked through in the transference, it became clear that this form of uncommon adolescent behaviour was determined by and a defence against the intensely destructive nature of his masturbation phantasies. This was intimately connected with his war experiences according to the formula: 'if one is left behind by one's parents in war-time, one is going to be destroyed'. The clinical implications of acute and chronic threats of annihilation during childhood are discussed. The effects of this special form of trauma seem to be an exceptionally intense defence formation against aggressive and passive-feminine drive impulses, a great sensitivity to narcissistic injuries and a sexualization of anxiety and tension. This may cause technical problems concerning regression in the service of the ego. Finally, some technical questions concerning adolescent material in an adult analysis are considered.