Projective identification is qualitatively different and far harder to catch—also, this is not a diagnosable term. When projective identification happens in an intimate relationship, it often hides behind fixed roles and seemingly affectionate habits that appear natural to everyone involved. So through projective identification, they try to evacuate the unbearable feelings of being vulnerable. In other words, they are absolutely desperate, and projective identification might have been the only tool available to them at the time. What to Do With Projective IdentificationThere is no clean protocol for how to deal with pathological projective identification, as each dynamic is uniquely different and comes with its own nuances.