Aggression, trauma, and hatred in the treatment of borderline patients.

Overview

This article focuses on the etiology of aggressive affect, behavior, and fantasy in the treatment of patients with severe personality disorders in an effort to further our understanding of the psychopathology and treatment of these patients. In the process, the relationship between inborn disposition to aggressive behavior and the effect of severe trauma and psychosocial pathology in early childhood are examined. Various types of transferences marked by aggression and specific approaches to each of these are outlined. Particular reference is given to the management of intense hatred--as a derivative of aggression--in the transference, and of the unconscious identification with both victim and victimizer in patients who have experienced sexual or physical abuse.