ABSTINENCE OR - FROM NECESSITY TO VIRTUE - HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CURRENT MEANING OF CONCEPT OF TREATMENT TECHNIQUE

Talking to analysts about their perception of the ''analytical rule of abstinence'' may easily give rise to the impression that it is a kind of taboo regulation rather than a rational concept of analytical tech nique. Actually, the term ''abstinence'' outlines a canon of rules tha t delineates the frame for relations with patients in the specific tre atment situation of psychoanalysis. If you consider this in union with the recent, gleefully spread press reports on sexual relations betwee n patients and psychotherapists, you will become painfully aware of ho w great the need of discussing the issue ''analytical abstinence'' is to be assessed. This holds both for the definition of its content and its translation into the practice of analytical technique. Against thi s background, I will first outline the genesis of the analytical conce pt of abstinence: born of the necessity to provide the difficult analy tical relationship with a moral framework, it grows into a prerequisit e of treatment technique. The underlying metapsychological and clinica l implications will be shown. In conclusion, some thoughts on the pres ent ethical and practical meaning of the analytical concept of abstine nce are presented.