Adolescent breakdown may take two forms. Firstly a pervasive negative identity and secondly an inappropriate conformism. An adult patient is described whose conformism in adolescence implied good adjustment but left her unable to develop an independent sense of herself. This left her vulnerable in later life. Failure to recognise adolescent problems, especially in conforming individuals, may itself be a component of adolescent breakdown since a primary task of such adolescents is to appear capable and independent.