Pathological accommodation refers to ways of being that function unconsciously to preserve a needed attachment when that bond has been traumatically threatened. In this sense of the word, “accommodation” means that the individual unconsciously adopts the views and feelings of another at the expense of his or her own experience. The role of unconscious organizing principles and affective sequences is detailed, and the issue of pathological accommodation in therapists is briefly addressed. This defense—the dread not to repeat—is distinguished from Anna Ornstein’s description of the dread to repeat. An anecdote emphasizes the crucial role self-awareness and the capacity for self-reflection play in the emancipation from entangling remnants of pathological accommodation.