On 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 a…