Narcissism: Psychological Theories And Therapeutic Interventions In The Narcissistic Disorders

Narcissism:  Psychological Theories and Therapeutic Interventions in the

Narcissistic Disorders


Introduction


Understanding the Narcissistic Phenomenon


     The so called "narcissistic personality disorder" is a complex and often

misunderstood disorder.  The cardinal feature of the narcissistic personality

is the grandiose sense of self importance, but paradoxically underneath this

grandiosity the narcissist suffers from a chronically fragile low self esteem.

The grandiosity of the narcissist, however, is often so pervasive that we tend

to dehumanize him or her.  The narcissist conjures in us images of the

mythological character Narcissus who could only love himself, rebuffing anyone

who attempted to touch him.  Nevertheless, it is the underlying sense of

inferiority which is the real problem of the narcissist, the grandiosity is

just a facade used to cover the deep feelings of inadequacy.


The Makeup of the Narcissistic Personality


     The narcissist's grandiose behavior is designed to reaffirm his or her

sense of adequacy.  Since the narcissist is incapable of asserting his or her

own sense of adequacy, the narcissist seeks to be admired by others.  However,

the narcissist"s extremely fragile sense of self worth does not allow him or

her to risk any criticism.  Therefore, meaningful emotional interactions with

others are avoided.  By simultaneously seeking the admiration of others and

keeping them at a distance the narcissist is usually able to maintain the

illusion of grandiosity no matter how people respond.  Thus, when people praise

the narcissist his or her grandiosity will increase, but when criticized the

grandiosity will usually remain unaffected because the narcissist will devalue

the criticizing person.


     Akhtar (1989) [as cited in Carson & Butcher, 1992; P. 271] discusses six

areas of pathological functioning which characterize the narcissist.  In

particular, four of these narcissistic character traits best illustrate the

pattern discussed above.  " (1)  a narcissistic individual has a basic sense of

inferiority, which underlies a preoccupation with fantasies of outstanding

achievement; (2)  a narcissistic individual is unable to trust and rely on

others and thus develops numerous, shallow relationships to extract tributes

from others; (3)  a narcissistic individual has a shifting morality-always

ready to shift values to gain favor; and (4) a narcissistic person is unable to

remain in love, showing an impaired capacity for a committed relationship".


The Therapeutic Essence of Treating Narcissism


     The narcissist who enters therapy does not think that there is something

wrong with him or her.  Typically, the narcissist seeks therapy because he or

she is unable to maintain the grandiosity which protects him or her from the

feelings of despair.  The narcissist views his or her situation arising not as

a result of a personal maladjustment; rather it is some factor in the

environment which is beyond  the narcissist"s control which has caused his or

her present situation.  Therefore, the narcissist expects the therapist not to

"cure" him or her from a problem which he or she does not perceive to exist,

rather the narcissist expects the therapist to restore the protective feeling of

grandiosity.  It is therefore essential for the therapist to be alert to the

narcissists attempts to steer therapy towards healing the injured grandiose

part, rather than exploring the underlying feelings of inferiority and despair.


Differential Psychological Views of Narcissism


     The use of the term narcissism in relation to psychological phenomena was

first made by Ellis in 1898.  Ellis described a special state of auto-erotism

as Narcissus like, in which the sexual feelings become absorbed in self

admiration (Goldberg, 1980).  The term was later incorporated into Freud"s

psychoanalytic theory in 1914 in his essay "On Narcissism".  Freud

conceptualized narcissism as a as a sexual perversion i
This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!









Subscribe to Academic Library
When you subscribe to the Academic Library, you get 24-hour access to the online database containing full-text articles written by thousands of scholarly students. For only $8.95 per month, you receive unlimited monthly access to view and download all of our 40,000 articles available online. That is less than the price of one textbook!
This price includes:

24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week unlimited access on any computer with Internet access
Complete access to all 40,000 articles, essays, and research papers
Ability to view and download virtually unlimited number of documents
Ability to browse through perfectly arranged catalog of articles
Superior search and relevancy ranking techniques using Google SiteSearch and our local search engine
Instant access to the online database after registration


You can pay by credit card, checking account. You get instant access after registration:


You will be billed $ 8.95 every 30 days (recurring billing) starting on the day you subscribe.

Your credit card will automatically be renewed for your convenience until you cancel.




If you are already registered, please click here to login.