ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author shows that his clinical experience of adult cases must be assumed to be that of a psycho-analyst who, whether he likes it or not, becomes involved in the treatment of borderline patients, and those who perhaps unexpectedly become schizoid during treatment. It seemed to the author to be a good idea to use the opportunity to sort out a little for himself the inter-relation of two ideas, one of schizophrenia as a regression, and the other of schizophrenia as a defence organisation. The false self defence can be dropped and the true self can become exposed in the psychotic transference. Following traumatic experiences new defences are quickly organised, but in the split-second before this can take place the individual has had the continuous line of his or her existence broken, broken by automatic reaction to the environmental failure. Direct study of panic is unproductive because panic is itself a defence.
