If I understand these letters from Narcissus correctly, they were not written as a presentation to explain the many features of the specific disorder known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Instead they were a presentation, as I understand them, of narcissistic disturbances associated with being human that are found in many different kinds of emotional problems. These disturbances go by the general name "narcissistic injury" in the clinical literature, and they are commonplace. If you are interested in studying the subject of narcissism as a specific personality disorder as described in the DSM, as opposed to the natural and commonplace conditions of narcissism and narcissistic injury, perhaps you would be interested in the information found at http://samvak.tripod.com/index.html There you can also find information about a discussion list on the more focused subject of Narcisistic Personality Disorder (NPD) explored from different theoretical approaches. Unlike BOL forums here that are designed as learning opportunities for professionals, the discussion list one can find from the above web site appears to be designed for anyone to present personal experiences and interests in NPD. I share this information on this BOL forum not as a recommendation or endorsement for anything presented at the web site mentioned above or on its discussion list, nor as a recommendation or endorsement for anything here at BOL either, but simply to note places on the Internet where one can read and learn about different theoretical approaches to explaining NPD itself, about which there is a very large literature with conflicts and controversies as well as commonalities. A fundamental tenet of CMT is that one size does not fit all. Just as different behaviors of a CMT therapist are used with different patients according to a patient's uniqueness, such that each patient's treatment is virtually custom tailored, so there exist so many different theoretical approaches to psychological problems because "different folks need different strokes," as the cliche accurately puts it. Any one theoretical approach alone is not very likely to be most satisfyingly helpful to everyone. So it is a good thing there is theoretical diversity in the variety of theories that exist since this corresponds to the diversity of human biengs. This forum exists to teach only one apporach, the CMT approach, to professionals; but my understanding is that it does not exist to present CMT as the last word on anything inasmuch as having the last word is contrary to a basic CMT tenet. That tenet: there is no last word about what everyone needs to feel understood or to function better so that the category level MOST useful in knowing how to help someone is a category with one member--the individual patient.
Replies:
|
| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |
Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.