ABSTRACT
John started treatment in the context of self-destructive and destructive actions: he was addicted to alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. He had physically assaulted and humiliated his companions. He was responsible for organizing physical punishments for anyone who dared to damage the family business (“the Nazi”). He was angry with his father who refused to treat him as a legitimate son because John was son of his father’s mistress. In addition, John was repeatedly exposed, as a child, to the sexual life of his parents. The analyst focused on these sufferings in transferential interpretations in order to legitimize him as a person, as a son, and as a brother. John responded positively to this emotional place in the transference relationship, stopped using drugs, approached his father and half-brothers (by whom he was eventually recognized), had children, and improved his sex life with his wife.
