THE BODY AND THE EGO BOUNDARIES - A CASE- STUDY IN THE PSYCHOANALYTIC-THERAPY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC PATIENTS

Psychosomatic diseases have been described by a variety of psychoanaly tic theories. No single concept Can cover the whole range of psychodyn amic processes in psychosomatic patients. Some of them are able and mo tivated to have a psychoanalysis. But they are ''borderline cases'' in respect to the psychoanalytic technique. Within the last decade, a co nsiderable amount of conceptual work has been done that may be helpful in psychoanalysis of these psychosomatic patients. A few concepts are summarized: A. Green's model of the psychodynamics of ''borderline ca ses'', J. McDougall's psychosomatic theories concerning foreclosure an d archaic hysteria and, finally, D. Anzieus work on the ''skin ego''. To exemplify the fruitfulness of these concepts, a case history of the psychoanalysis with a patient suffering from bronchial asthma and col itis is presented.