Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a favorite of skeptics, laypeople, clinicians, and researchers alike.
When discussing NPD, it makes sense to start with some Greek mythology. The name Narcissus comes from an ancient Greek myth about a man named Narcissus who was so obsessed with his image that he would constantly stare at his reflection in a body of water. He was so obsessed that he fell into the water and died. Narcissus’s obsession with his beauty was the cause of his downfall—a dynamic that still forms the core of the concept of Narcissistic Personality Disorder today.
FreudianPerspective
Narcissism, or “self-love,” as a clinical concept relevant to understanding and treating mental illness has its roots in Freudian theory, where Freud viewed pathological excessive introversion as essentially a problem of “narcissism.” For Freud, individuals with narcissistic problems were unable to adaptively deal with their libido and sexual desire, which should have been directed toward the outside world and ultimately toward a life partner. Freudian narcissists turned their sexual instinct inward and focused their attention on the self. Narcissism has a rich history in psychoanalysis, albeit with multiple, evolving meanings.
Self-psychology perspective
For example, the well-known founder of the self-psychology school of psychoanalysis, Kohut, was known for his conceptualization and therapeutic approach to psychotherapy with “narcissistic” patients. Narcissistic patients were long viewed in psychoanalysis as untreatable because they could develop a positive transference with their analyst (a positive therapeutic alliance). However, Kohut viewed their pathology as having early developmental roots linked to parental failure.
Kohut believed that narcissistic patients could be treated with a technique he called “mirroring.” Mirroring involves reflecting their emotional and intellectual experiences to the patient in an acceptable and contained way. In other words, mirroring is what good parents generally do automatically with infants, children, and others. Individuals with narcissistic disorder in this model did not receive these mirrorings while growing up. Thus, for Kohut, the therapist provides a positive mirror to strengthen and validate the fractured self. The reflections Kohut offers can reasonably be conceived of as providing a corrective emotional experience for patients.
Kernberg’s View of Severe Personality Disorders
More recently, Kernberg has postulated that narcissistic personality disorder is a severe personality disorder that involves a deep, primal, and aggressive hunger for love and admiration, as well as a need to destroy others.
Platt’s Narcissistic Subtypes
Sidney Platt conceptualized two subtypes of narcissistic personality: the deflationary narcissist and the grandiose narcissist.
The deflationary narcissist projects an outward image of strength and power but feels weak and small on the inside. The grandiose narcissist projects arrogance and self-confidence that is consistent with his inner sense of superiority and grandiosity.
