ABSTRACT
Intervention on historical vulnerability is focused on reconstruction of the patient’s life history with particular attention to child-rearing and the atmosphere in the home and to events that may have sensitised him to fear of guilt or to disgust. Imagery Rescripting focuses on traumatic memories. It is used in therapy for personality disorders and anxiety and mood disorders. The objective of working on vulnerability is the reduction of rigid beliefs that obsessive patients have about themselves, about the rules of good conduct, and performance standards. Working on vulnerability, therefore, fosters acceptance of past painful events and attempts to reduce self-blame and its dramatic effects on the patient’s emotional life. It is advantageous to foster flexibility and the possibility of perceiving oneself as a person who can make mistakes, so that self-blame does not compromise one’s personal value.
