ABSTRACT
Psychiatrists encounter many cases of chronic paranoid schizophrenic disorders in their everyday practice. Most psychiatrists would agree that florid paranoid beliefs have a particular meaning for the individual and would recognize the symbolic references to sexuality in Ellen’s delusional world. Although the long-term outcome of chronic schizophrenia has been shown to be less often disastrous than had been thought, such disturbing relapses in an otherwise relatively stabilized case are common. The many examples of Ellen’s delusional thinking that were presented in the course of the case discussion at first seemed bizarre and unintelligible. However, when the characteristics of schizoid thinking were considered, they became more understandable in terms of her personal psychotic logic. To acquire deeper understanding of the meaning of her delusional preoccupations, and of their personal significance, requires consideration of the mental mechanisms that have generated them.
