The Damaged Identity Tag: A Prematurely Terminated Analysis of a Latency Boy*

Hugo was referred to the Centre at the age of 8 by his doctor, because he suffered both day and night from the fear of being “taken away” by an ostrich. The initial diagnostic hypothesis was of a typical infantile neurosis, but it became evident early on that the neurotic superstructure masked a more profound narcissistic disturbance with associated problems in structuralisation, integration and sense of self. Hugo treated others as extensions of himself and related exclusively to his primary objects and their substitutes with a limited capacity for concern (Winnicott 1963). He was absorbed with beating fantasies which served in place of missing ego functions, including control of drive discharge, defence against painful affect and stabilisation of self-cohesiveness. Hugo was locked in a Sado-masochistic relationship with his mother which was especially frightening due to the lack of separateness he experienced in relation to her. His sense of omnipotence, which was fuelled by parental handling, was a major source of resistance.

This paper looks at the 17-month analysis which gradually focused on the preoedipal tie to mother, as it became apparent that it was here that the impasse in his development lay. The analysis was characterised by a double resistance from both mother and son, and was prematurely terminated by mother when separation issues came to the fore in our work.

Although Hugo's other serious problems were mentioned by his parents in their description of him, such as his friendlessness and unhappiness, these were glossed over, the ostrich fear being the main presenting problem, largely because it had spread to the point where Hugo's anxiety had begun to rule the household. Hugo was afraid to stay alone on any floor of their large house for fear the ostrich might appear. He got his mother to sit with him while he did his homework in the evening, and again while he fell asleep, a routine which took hours. Hugo ended up spending most of every night in