Four case histories of patients who interrupted their group therapy reveal

that they did so because of their fear of rejection by the other members, their wishes for dependency which made them test the tolerance of fellow members, their feelings of weakness when confronted by the group, and their overwhelming insight into their own drives. These anxieties can be used therapeutically, often in a few individual sessions with the parent surrogate, the therapist, or they can be vented in group discussion. Often a few absences from meetings help the anxious individual to gain insight and confidence.