Ghosts in the swamp: some aspects of splitting and their relationship to Parental losses

摘要

The author describes some aspects of the analysis of a woman who was suffering form bulimia and extreme withdrawal from life. It emerged that she was frightened of her parents' internal objects, which she experienced as vengeful ghosts who were preventing her from developing her life or personality. She was identified with these ghosts to the extent of feeling that she was not supposed to survive.