title: Oedipal distortions in severe character pathologies. Developmental and theoretical considerations.
abstract: The oedipus complex is presented as a universal, developmentally determined mental organization that incorporates pregenital factors in a new hierarchic structure. Psychoanalysis with adults who have a variety of disorders, including severe character pathology, demonstrates the role of the oedipus complex and its variants as a dominant theme in these disorders. Recent trends in psychoanalytic theory are reviewed to facilitate our understanding of the newer metapsychological formulations that tend to de-emphasize oedipal constellations. Specific issues of changing emphasis in drive theory, ego organization, developmental levels of anxiety, and the separation-individuation process are considered.
mesh_terms: D001009:Anxiety, Castration / Q000150:complications; D004328:Drive; D006801:Humans; D007207:Individuation; D008297:Male; D009813:Oedipus Complex; D010262:Paraphilic Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011606:Psychosexual Development