The abstinence of the psychoanalyst

Complexities are inherent in the application of the psychoanalytic principle of abstinence. The author defines abstinence, presents a historical and current review of the concept, and describes circumstances, in the psychoanalytic field and in the public at large, that have led to its misinterpretation. Three vignettes illustrate the conflictual situations that abstinence presents to the analyst, as well as its constructive and ultimately gratifying results.