I’ve been working with Character Structure as a therapist for around 5 years now, through one-to-one sessions and in workshops. I also wrote a book on Reichian Character Structure a few years back. So it feels to me like I’ve been deeply immersed in this field for a while and that I’m regularly gaining insights. This post is me sharing some of what I’ve learned over the last years, in a point-by-point manner.
In this piece, I’m often replacing the term Character Structure with the word Type, to allow me to type less.
#1 - Four Types, not Five!
Wilhelm Reich, the originator of Character Structure, initially created four Character Types, which were known by the terms Schizoid, Oral, Masochist and Rigid. This he did back in 1933 in his book, Character Analysis.
Somewhere down the line a fifth got added, apparently without any thumbs-up from Reich himself (who possibly might have passed by that time). The fifth was known as the Psychopath, more commonly labelled The Aggressive these days. It seems not clear who added it or why. After a few years of accepting the Aggressive as legit, I’ve now moved to the Reichian view of there only being four Types. These are my reasons:
The Aggressive is meant to originate very late in ego development, around age 7-14. This puts it a lot later on than the others.
There is simply no clear psychological or historical origin for the Type, though some may have experienced acute loss of trust in a parent around this age. This is really not the case for the other four, which can be clearly tracked to phases of infant development.
It just seems to me like someone in psychology wanted to pinpoint this personality type, possibly because it’s especially common in N. American culture. But I don’t think that sticking it in Character Structre is a good way to achieve this. There’s also a rumour that it was originally meant as a Type for Reich himself, which I find kind of mean, if true.
The original title “psychopath” crosses over with DSM (a manual for Psychiatric Diagnoses) and not in a good way. Maybe 30% of the traits of clinical psychopathy are relevant to the Aggressive Type.
#2 - Body Type is BS!
Yeah, I know that the idea that people literally embody their Character Structure was and is a cornerstone of Reichian thought. That you can tell someone’s Type by their posture and how they move. But it mostly just isn’t true! At least not in the 2020s, in my opinion.
Heaps of Orals look nothing like the classic Oral - Shaggy out of Scooby Doo.
Heaps of Leaving Types look nothing like the classic Schizoid. Like nowhere near. Endurers and Rigids likewise. And whilst there still are people who embody the Type, they are few and far between.
A reason for the shift could be that the Types are anyway more diffuse in people these days (see next point) and that people tend to have all four (or five) to some degree.
#3 - We Have All of the Types
Next bit of transgression from the classical position… there is not just one dominant and one secondary Type in most people. It’s a mix. And it’s often different in different categories of social situation. There are three such categories BTW - Friends, Lovers and Work. So you could be super-Oral in Love, Enduring at Work and Rigid as a Friend. It’s possible.
That said, it is quite common for one Type to really be sticking its head up above the parapet, so to speak (yes, even for you Endurers), meaning that it’s really presenting itself in the person’s life to be worked on. So, if you’re a therapist, it’s for sure good to pick that to work on with the client, assuming they’re up for it.
It’s also good not to allow the fact that you show multiple Types to block you from working really deeply on one.
#4 - DSM is Not a Good Fit to Type
The clinical diagnostic manual for official psychiatric conditions does not fit well to Character Type, in my experience. Psychopaths are not Aggressive Type, though there might be some shared traits. Schizophrenics are actually nothing like Schizoids, even though they have a similar name. (Schizophrenia is more like when brain sub processes are so dominant, you can’t form enough of a coherent ego to become socially normal).
Endurers are not necessarily masochistic.
Also, just to mention, people who experience a determination to get things to tie up, even when they don’t, are likely quite high in the Rigid Type.
#5 - Some Modern Day Psych Stuff Does Fit Though
Many depressives will have Oral stuff. Orals can’t hold proper psychological boundaries (it means they could lose nourishment) so they struggle to hold enough energy and can easily go down in mood.
Anxiety can be tracked to any of the four main Types, though not the Aggressive, if you still want to include those guys. Aggressives are teflon-coated for anxiety.
In Attachment Theory, the “anxious” types will usually have a significant Oral component. “Avoidant” types may well be Rigid-Oral. Just to mention, for those who are into Attachment Theory, if you find yourself trying to work out how you can act like a “secure” type - that’s likely because you’re Leaving Type.
#6 - Leaving and Enduring are more Nervous System Mediated Types
This refers to the mediation of the Type in your brain and behaviour. Endurers and Leaving Types do seem to be nervous-system mediated, especially the Leavers.
This means that it is generally a slower process to create change for these guys, as you have to get nervous system defences to stop over-protecting you. It takes time to convince our nervous system that you’re a big boy or girl now and actually can feel what you need to feel in order to develop . Leavers nearly always need to work slowly and gently, even though they typically are determined to do the opposite! (Surely there’s a quicker way, a hack? Can’t I just make it look like I’m fine?)
With Endurers, some can work faster. The way to find out is to try and get them to really be physically angry, in a safe setting, properly held. If they can’t go there, then that points to nervous-system mediation, and so they will need a more gentle approach.
#7 - Orals and Rigids are More Psychologically Mediated
Good news for you guys. You can work hard and fast if you want to. Orals need to find that anger, get that belly filled with energy and start holding clear boundaries with the outside world and the people in it.
Rigids need to learn to be okay with both feeling and showing vulnerability and talking about feelings. Yes, that might interfere with how well you function in the world but it’s also part of being human.
This was super useful. Thank you. I will likely reference it over the next few months. In my opinion, you are are doing some of the most meaningful work in Bioenergetics/Reichian therapy since Lowen.