Addiction, death, and the liver in mind: The prometheus syndrome

SUMMARY Using illustrative clinical material, drug-addiction is shown to be characterised by repeated sadistic attacks on internal objects perceived by the addict to be dead or dying. Damaged internal objects appear resuscitated in order that they might be repaired, though the result is a continuation of a self-destructive attack. This compulsive cycle of repetitive attack and attempt at repair is compared with the punishment cycle in the Greek myth of Prometheus. Particular attention is paid to the attack on Prometheus's liver. It is proposed that the process of repairing the liver might be considered in terms of a need for detoxification of noxious internal objects. It is proposed that the toxic mentation of addiction might be thought of as a specific object-relations syndrome.