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In this paper we will elucidate several types of thinking problems that lead to work and achievement difficulties in borderline personalities. The thinking problems will be related to particular failures in the separation-individuation process described by Mahler (1968). The major implication of several recent reports on borderline personalities is that low level of work and school achievement is a major problem area for these individuals (Carpenter and Gunderson, 1977; Gunderson, Carpenter, and Strauss, 1975. Understanding of the difficulties in cognition which lead to learning and achievement problems has not been well developed in object relations theory. Notable exceptions are Fast (1975) on work style in borderline personalities and Newman, Dember, and Krug on underachievement in gifted children.
While it has long been accepted that thought processes are significantly impaired in psychosis, the relative autonomy of thinking in lesser disorders has been in controversy. That is, it is not yet clear to what extent thought processes may be impaired in nonpsychotic disturbances. Classical psychoanalysis viewed