Allied Narcissus

Abstract

The reference to narcissism evokes, as a stereotype, the representation of the person who loves himself excessively, a cold manipulator for his own ends, interested in others to obtain consent and admiration. The concept, however, has a more articulated configuration which, according to Gabbard, ranges from pathological narcissism, including the "grandiose", indifferent to the needs of others, and the "vulnerable", insecure and often alerted by the fear of rejection by others, to high-functioning narcissism, profiled by Rus, characterized by a high self-perception and able to relate to others, as charming, attractive and interested in understanding the other. Furthermore, narcissistic is often comorbid with obsessive-compulsive, masochistic tendencies, borderline organization, substance abuse, sex addiction, mood disorders or anxiety disorders. The positive qualities of narcissism are facilitators of success in social, life and work commitments, and can be a useful ally in clinical work. Psychotherapeutic theories and techniques, such as, for example, Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, the interactive model developed by Watzlawick, Beavin and D. Jackson, the deepening of the narcissistic transference conducted by Kohut, testify to the possibility of re-reading an expression or event with multiple punctuation points. In the present contribution, four patients, who tell the story of their painful experiences, in the clinical interview, are confronted with constructive interpretations of their feelings and behavior: Paolo, intolerant of daily insulin control, finds himself proud, with his classmates, for his ability to self-manage; Assunta, psycho-physically exhausted, she directs her efforts to give attention to herself too; Daniela, abandoned by her father, considers her multiple identities ("masks") as situational adaptations; Michela, who cuts her arms, perceives in the caused pain a sensor of being alive against the emptiness of the disappointments suffered. Everyone has had the opportunity to experience resilience, since, as Hoyt states, clinical work promotes an alliance between the subject’s goals and his resources.