Problems of working-through with borderline patients.

Abstract

The borderline patient is "one who has a repressed delusional system which represents sadomasochistic behavior patterns based upon the patient's identification with his parents." Resistance against change comes from perceiving separation as life-threatening, from fear of emergence of long-repressed sadism, from fear of losing one's identity for giving in to the therapist's wishes, and from equating it with abandonment. Procedures are suggested.

The borderline patient and military life

“…Further, the borderline patient is often of good intelligence with evidence of academic success, but with a tendency to function at a level below his intellectual capacity. Indeed various writers, including Little (1966), Rosner (1969) and Frosch (1970) have commented on the ability of the borderline patient to maintain a surprisingly stable work record, with good results, usually when employed in a highly structured environment. This aspect of their performance and relative intactness has, as noted by Gunderson & Singer (1979, received little attention. Two patients are reported here, for whom the diagnosis of borderline personality seems valid and appropriate.…”

“…Indeed various writers, including Little (1966), Rosner (1969) and Frosch (1970) have commented on the ability of the borderline patient to maintain a surprisingly stable work record, with good results, usually when employed in a highly structured environment. This aspect of their performance and relative intactness has, as noted by Gunderson & Singer (1979, received little attention.…”

Family Structure as Recalled by Borderline Patients

“…Anger, either passively or actively expressed, is a central theme in all of these characteriza tions of the father. The hostile parts of the parents are often projected onto the children [20], The borderline child is used as a reposi tory for the projected sadistic impulses of the parents [21]. The hostile-dependent interac tion between the mother and her borderline child is usually emphasized in these descrip tions.…”