On feeling abused

Summary

To summarize with regard to the phenomenon of feeling abused, it is important to see both thediversity of content, form and individual sources, and theunity behind such diversity. This unity comes into clear focus only when we lump together all the manifold expressions of feeling abused and disregard for a while their particular sources in the neurotic structure. Only when seeing the phenomenon as a whole do we realize that it is an integral part of a whole way of living one's life outside oneself. Only then do we realize that it is a person's over-all defense against coming face to face with himself and his own problems.