Freud relates to the need for the treatment to take place in a gene¬ral atmosphere of abstinence. He relies here on his understanding of neurosis, which he sees as derived from frustration and deprivation. The symptom is a substitutive satisfaction. Every relief in the pathological state slows down the treatment and undermines the strength of the drive to heal. This is why the patient must be prevented from an accelerated alleviation; for instance in the absence of deprivation and pain, there will be no drive to heal. Freud emphasizes that the analyst must prevent the patient from getting substitutive satisfaction. In certain cases, the patient will seek such satisfaction in the therapeutic process itself. Freud states that if an analyst makes everything as pleasant as possible for his patients, he would abandon any hope of strengthening them or helping them increase their own ability to resolve their personal problems. The conclusion is that abstinence creates a maintained state of deprivation, which is crucial for the continuation of the treatment.