Anxiety and Personality: The Concept of a Directing Object and its Applications

Based on extensive clinical observations and using theories of ego psychology and object relations theory, the author proposes the concept of a phobic character structure. There are many kinds of phobias, but all phobic patients share a specific disturbance in ego development regarding what the author calls the internal directing object, which directs behavior in accordance to social norms, and evolves in interaction with mother. Phobic patients look for external directing objects as a substitute. This concerns interactions with marriage partners, colleagues at work and with a therapist. The phobic character structure is developed during the time period when obsessive-compulsive character structures are formed.
Applications of this concern psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy and psychoanalytically-based counseling, as well as problems of therapists with a phobic character structure.