Narcissism and Its Discontents: Diagnostic Dilemmas and Treatment Strategies With Narcissistic Patients

Integrating contemporary research with psychoanalytic theory, Narcissism and Its Discontents offers clinicians strategies for dealing with the complex situations that can arise when treating patients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). The very act of defining narcissism can be a difficult one, owing to the pleomorphic nature of NPD. This guide recognizes the challenge and provides a number of psychoanalytic and psychotherapeutic approaches including transference and countertransference to adjust treatment to the patient rather than constraining clinician and patient by strictly adhering to a manualized treatment.

A chapter on the cultural aspects of narcissism addresses the recent societal fascination with NPD in the discourse on politics and celebrity, particularly in the age of social media. Regardless of the treatment setting psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, partial hospital, or inpatient clinicians will find a wealth of approaches to treating a diverse and challenging patient population in Narcissism and Its Discontents.