Analytic abstinence entails a technical frustration that may have different meanings for those with primarily neurotic disorder and those with significant preoedipal pathology. It is posited that the greater the degree of preoedipal disturbance, the greater will be the tendency to experience the frustration of the technique itself as transference-laden: conflicts related to frustrating experiences in early childhood are revived owing to the abstinent form of psychoanalytic treatment. Ramifications regarding the analyst’s work-ego, countertransference, general strategic considerations, and technical difficulties are discussed.