ABSTRACT
In the 1930s and '40s, inspired by Sigmund Freud's work, psychoanalysts like Frieda Fromm-Reichmann, Harry Stack Sullivan, G. Bychowski, Paul Federn, and John Rosen began to understand that schizophrenics' strange behavior was a result of their suffering, not an attempt to offend society. Schizophrenics feel guilty not about such minor things as missed appointments, or failure to be considerate of someone else, as does the neurotic. They feel guilty for breathing, eating, and living. In short, their superegos are vengeful and cruel to a degree that makes the neurotic superego look like a wrist slapper. In fact, the developing schizophrenic process is seen when the ego constantly surrenders to an insatiable superego, which grows ever stronger on the increasing flow of energy that it drains from the ego. It is important to stress this point for fear that the therapist, and, therefore, the patient may be misled by the deviousness of the superego.
