Further Understanding the Undifferentiated Selfobject: Key to the Treatment of Disorders

It is proposed that the undifferentiated selfobject is the key to understanding the formation and treatment of disorders that are characterized by preoccupations with destructive thoughts and actions.  By destructive I am referring to preoccupations that can be harmful to oneself. They include but not limited to major depressive disorders, bipolar affective disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, paranoid personality disorders, eating disorders, and impulsive disorders. This paper emphasizes how therapists can be attuned to the undifferentiated selfobject needs of their patients and develop a treatment of disorders that is based on understanding these needs.