Paranoid Character and the Intolerance of Indifference

Abstract

This paper suggests that aspects of paranoid character are structured around fantasies of magical and concrete connectedness to objects; these fantasies serve to avoid the terrors of object inconstancy. The authors describe how these fantasies are expressed in the psychoanalytic situation and explore their relation to common paranoid phenomena. The paranoid person must maintain these fantasies of connectedness at all cost or risk experiencing unbearable indifference between self and object. Paradoxically, the sacrifice of self and object boundaries inherent in these fantasies makes object constancy even more difficult to achieve because of the secondary defensive use of anger mobilized to protect the boundaries of the self.

Mistrustful and Misunderstood: a Review of Paranoid Personality Disorder

“…There has been little theoretical or empirical support for anxiety about homosexual urges as a cause of paranoia, but theoretical work has preserved the idea of paranoia representing an outward projection of inward conflict. These have varied from shame [74] to an intolerance to indifference [75]. Otto Kernberg classified PPD as a subtype of borderline character pathology, a “lower order” level of character organization characterized by minimal super-ego integration, excessive aggressive drives [76], and a tendency towards primitive mental processes such as splitting [77].…”

From Mortification to Metamorphosis

“…Hence, I had internalized both a fear of shaming and castration for my active as well as receptive longings. Without much time to address the multiple-function of my body-reflex, I recalled an article by Auchincloss and Weiss (1992) about self-revelation in the midst of a paranoid reaction, which wasn't paranoid at all. Cara was onto something that we both had to understand, lest our work close to a screeching halt.…”

Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal Personality Disorders

“…They often look for examples of their suspicious ideas in the actions of others and are reluctant to interpret events differently. This interpersonal style typically leads to problems in initiating or maintaining romantic relationships and is associated with lack of trust and pathological jealousy, divorce, intolerance of indifference, difficulties keeping a job, and recurrent litigation for perceived injustices (Auchincloss & Weiss, 1994;DSM-IV, APA, 1994;Meissner, 1995;Millon, 1981;Sullivan, 1932Sullivan, /1965Turkat, 1985). Paranoid PD individuals have an excessive need for autonomy and lack trust in others, which disrupts the formation of stable interpersonal relationships.…”

“…It is becoming more accepted that Paranoid PD may be viewed as a dimensional construct that spans a continuum of severity and impairment (Auchincloss & Weiss, 1994;Sperry, 1995). Empirical and theoretical support for assessing Paranoid PD from a dimensional perspective is growing (Clark, Livesley, Schroeder, & Irish, 1996;Tien et al, 1992;Trull, 1992;Widiger, Trull, Clarkin, Sanderson, & Costa, 1994).…”

“…Paranoid individuals will often drop out of therapy, will be resistant to self-disclosure, or will resist following treatment regimens (Turkat, 1985;Williams, 1988). Furthermore, they have been characterized as difficult patients who exhibit more dysfunctional behavior relative to other clinical populations and have poorer prognoses (Auchincloss & Weiss, 1994;Meissner, 1995;Millon, 1981). Interpersonalists may not share this negative prognostic view (O'Leary & Watson, 1995).…”