Success inhibitions in neurotic and character-disordered patients

Freud's initial understanding of "wreckage by success" involved oedipal conflicts. Since that time, preoedipal issues have also been identified as underlying success inhibitions. Work inhibitions in character-disordered patients may be ignored because of our general understanding of how pathological ego and superego functioning interferes in work, as in all areas. However, after significant psychotherapeutic work has been done, the author has often found that such patients have remaining work problems that should be viewed as inhibitions rather than deficits. Separation fears often underlie success inhibitions in more disturbed patients. Careful understanding of work inhibitions in more disturbed patients is crucial, because in many such patients, more freeing of functioning is possible in the work sphere than in intimate relationships. Two cases are presented to illustrate oedipal-level and preoedipal conflicts related to success.