Addictions and the quest to control the object.

Most patients come into psychoanalytic treatment engaged in some form of repetitive, destructive behavior that is an externalization or projection of their internal struggles. One form of this object relational acting-out is the addictions, be they to alcohol, gambling, drugs, sex, procrastination, or other variations. The patient's experience is a "must do-can't stop" one that leaves them both desperate and relieved. Patients come to us wanting help in refraining from these addictive patterns. Sometimes, they are attending a 12-step program or are in a day treatment recovery program but need additional assistance in remaining free from their addictive behaviors. Others seek out psychoanalytic treatment while still involved in their addiction, but wish to stop the behavior and build a more positive plan for their lives. This paper examines the deeper object relational issues that lie behind the addictive process. The transference is often colored by acting-out, by sadomasochistic dynamics, by projective identification, and by fantasies of persecution and loss. Case material is used to explore these specific problems as well as the patient's general difficulties with paranoid-schizoid and depressive functioning.