Difficult patients in group analysis: The personification of (ba) I : A/M

Following a discussion of the treatment of "difficult patients" in group an alysis, two theories are proposed concerning a fourth basic assumption in t he unconscious life of groups, called "Incohesion: Aggregation/Massificatio n " or "(ba) I:A/M"; and the personification of basic assumption processes, in particular that of (ba) I:A/M by difficult patients. These theories are illustrated with clinical data. Special attention is given to crustacean a nd amoeboid forms of encapsulation as a defence against the fear of annihil ation within the context of the traumatogenic process. It is suggested that for difficult patients the treatment of choice is dyadic psychotherapy/psy choanalysis followed by group analysis.