Origins of BPD: Cronus Eating his Children—a Case Report

The multiple and often confusing origins of borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be partially understood within the myth of Cronus, which tells the story of a man so obsessed with his future he eats his children. There's certainly much more from this tale that can be interpreted—the escape of Cronus' child, Zeus, brought about by the trickery of his mother, Cronus' ultimate responsibility for the origin of the vengeance Goddesses; but, for the illustrations of this case history, that Cronus ate his children to avoid being bested by them is the critical event. What must it be like to be parented by a person whose own needs are so enormous that the child develops little sense of self because if this is attempted, she is engulfed by father, abandoned by mother (Mahler, 1968; Mahler et al., 1975). All is not lost, however, as the rescued child in our modern-day story, now an adult, manages to defend against being eaten by developing a life-threatening eating disorder, thus identifying with the aggressor, in the language of Anna Freud (1937/1966, 1965). Unsuccessful cures are sought: A lengthy hospitalization for bulimia and involuntary commitment in a state hospital for psychosis. Through long-term psychodynamic treatment, however, she becomes acquainted with selfhood, including metabolization of her once split-off part objects.

Dee, a 32-year-old Caucasian woman with pronounced facial scars and a large discolored nose, first came to treatment after several unsuccessful attempts to overcome a serious eating disorder, including a 6-month inpatient hospitalization that resulted in “wearing out the staff.” Her presenting complaint was a debilitating fear that a “Spider woman” hallucination—the first she ever reported experiencing—would return to devour her. Her attempts