Prior to analysis, Jane's depressed demeanor and somatization were suggestive of suppressed crying. Overt weeping came to the fore only in the treatment. The analysis disclosed the overdetermination of this symptom and the variety of functions it served. In addition to being a mode of tension release and a means of expressing affects, it was involved in conflicts. Weeping also represented a wish for contact coupled with a desire to attack, both of which were defended against. From a developmental and genetic point of view, her weeping may be perceived as symptomatic of the narcissistic vulnerability that inevitably follows an out-of-phase overstimulation and its influence on the interrelated drive and ego formation. From a dynamic point of view, weeping was used in the service of intrapsychic conflicts derived from all phases of development.