The police quickly apprehended Timothy, who was wandering about on the periphery of the crowd. He readily confessed to the crime, although he gave no motive. He denied anger although he admitted that it seemed like an angry thing to do. He saw no reason why he would have used the kitchen utensils in such a bizarre fashion.
This example, however extreme, could be used to illustrate
the dangers of sexual overstimulation. Timothy was a very
sexy boy. He had been stimulated by his mother for years in
ways that could be socially condoned, or at least rationalized.
He invaded his mother's bed and certainly savored her physical
attentions. Yet Timothy never attempted incest, nor was
he lewd or promiscuous. Did overstimulation cause him to
rape and kill? And why the savage, senseless mutilation?
How did anger come to be linked so closely with pleasure?
Timothy was well taught and well behaved.
He renounced
other outlets and was a willing captive of his mother's stimulation.
At the age of five he realized every boy's oedipal fantasy,
for he did indeed possess his mother. In an attempt to
please, he restricted himself to the role of good student,
engaging child, and mother's helper.
As he received consider
able gratification for his efforts, he didn't undergo significant
conflict until early adolescence. Then he experienced vigorous
sexual urgings which, in his setting, were terrifying. His
mother aggravated his confusion through her fondling and
physical closeness.
She teased and stimulated but never satisfied.
She noted his erections, but acted as if they were
unimportant. Through criticism and moral judgment, she
systematically eliminated any other outlets, however innocuous.
The invasive quality of her closeness both threatened
and disparaged.
Timothy could not express anger at his mother because
she was the source of all gifts and goodness. Yet Timothy did
feel angry, and his rage mounted as his frustration increased.
At last he vented his fury against the second seductive
woman in his life. He finally and forcibly ruptured the bond
with mother. While in custody, Timothy slept by himself.
PETER
Peter was a five-year-old boy presented by his father for
evaluation. Peter's parents had been divorced two years
before. Now both had remarried. Peter began to spend weekends
and vacations with his father, stepmother, and stepmother's
young son. During the first visit, Peter did some
unusual things.
Although well toilet-trained, he stood at the
side of the bed and urinated on the carpet. A very concerned
father reported to me that Peter's eyes seemed glazed at the
time and that Peter could give no reason for urinating.
Shortly thereafter, Peter stealthily removed some filmy
panties from his stepmother's dresser. He was caught masturbating
with them. This pattern persisted in spite of admonitions,
counseling, and physical punishment.
On the stepmother's advice, the father became increasingly severe,
and repeatedly spanked Peter, but the habit persisted. Now
Peter made a cache of underwear filched from the laundry
pile to assure himself an uninterrupted supply.
Peter later complained to his therapist that no matter how
hard he attempted to conceal this activity, it seemed that he
was always apprehended. His habit was far more worrisome
than it was pleasurable. His therapist offered him a silver
dollar if he could put such thoughts out of his mind for one
day.
That day Peter pilfered no underwear, but he dreamed
about it continuously. Finally he stole another forbidden
object, a package of matches, and hid with them behind
shrubs in the back yard. His stepmother found Peter lighting
a small fire, and he was again whipped.
Peter had been imagining
his stepmother's panties on fire. Sex for Peter had
become a compulsive, angry thing.