I'm in the middle of this book currently. I didn't read it sooner just because it was written long ago and I was hoping for the latest information on SzPD.
But now I wish I'd read it sooner.
A quote from the book that I thought was pretty good. This refers specifically to schizoid patients.
I have found encouraging results with several patients who, each in his or her own different way, have been able to find security for their regressed ego in the psychotherapeutic relationship. There appear to be two aspects of the problem. The first is the slow growth out of their antilibidinal (Freudian sadistic superego) persecution of themselves; they need to unlearn their ruthless driving of themselves by ceaseless inner mental pressure to keep going as 'forced pseudo-adults' and to acquire the courage to adopt more of the understanding attitude of the therapist to the hard pressed and frightened child within. Simultaneously with this there goes a second process, the growth of a constructive faith that if the needs of the regressed ego are met, first in the relation to the therapist who protects it in its need for an initial passive dependence, this will mean not collapse and loss of active powers for good and all, but a steady recuperation from deep strain, diminishing of deep fears, revitalization of the personality, and rebirth of an active ego that is spontaneous and does not have to be forced and driven; what Balint calls 'primitive passive dependence' making possible 'the new beginning'. Finally we must stress that regression and illness are not the same thing. Regression is a flight backwards in search of security and a chance of a new start. But regression becomes illness in the absence of any therapeutic person to regress with and to.