In ego psychology, a major feature that distinguishes a person diagnosed as schizophrenic in dealing with separation-individuation is that the person has a fear of?

• A. Abandonment
• B. Destruction of the self
• C. Loss of identity
• D. Entropy of ego boundaries

Answer: (B)

In ego psychology, separation-individuation is about developing a stable sense of self while differentiating from others. When this process is seriously disrupted, as in schizophrenia, the core disturbance is a pervasive fear that the self will be destroyed. This fear drives how the person experiences the world and their relationships, leading to heightened vulnerability to depersonalization and intense defenses aimed at preserving an already fragile ego. Abandonment, loss of identity, or diffuse ego-boundary entropy can appear in related ways, but the most defining reaction in this context is the terror of the self being annihilated.