This collection investigates the psychoanalytic underpinnings of behavioral disorders, focusing on how misbehavior serves to protect the self from painful affects. Guided by Arnold Goldberg's self-psychological framework, the case studies explore perversion, delinquency, and addiction. The contributors examine how these patients, through acting out and narcissistic behaviors, attempt to achieve a sense of self-cohesion and ward off dysphoria. The volume thus offers a deep dive into the complex interplay between internal states and external actions in the pursuit of psychological integrity.

This volume is positioned as a significant contribution to psychoanalytic casebook literature, specifically within the realm of understanding and treating behavior disorders. It is likely to be of interest to psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and students of psychology who are familiar with self-psychology and Goldberg's prior work. The collection's focus on the defensive functions of misbehavior suggests a text that offers in-depth clinical insights rather than broad, introductory material.