ABSTRACT
The threat of internal loss—death of the self and the object—fuels drastic and desperate psychological measures. The paranoid–schizoid ego feels capable of destroying the object with its oral rage, greed, and desire. This is a phantasy of one’s tremendous hunger for love, nourishment, and power being met with revenge and retaliation. It is a phantasy of betrayal, loss, and persecution that ultimately leads to an experience of annihilation. Excessive projective identification is a common coping mechanism. Splitting, denial, and projection of oral greed and demand for idealism protects the object temporarily. This translates to a masochistic request for tolerance and forgiveness from the object. However, the ego quickly feels even more persecuted. As the ego’s level of rage, greed, and hunger escalate, more projection and splitting is needed, creating a more ominous and demanding object. Anxiety over loss, conflict, and catastrophe feeds on itself.
