Etiology of the Masochistic and Narcissistic Personality

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

Object relations and addiction: The role of “transmuting externalizations”

Addiction is viewed as resulting from a failure in the separation-individuation process. Due to lack of reliable selfobjects and failure to make transmuting internalizations, the addict remains dependent upon transmuting externalizations in an attempt to incorporate soothing objects into the self. As comfort provided by transmuting externalizations cannot be internalized into the self, the process inevitably fails. Treatment of addiction is thus conceived here as a multimodal strategy to help addicts complete separation-individuation and make transmuting internalizations of the soothing and realistic capacities of the therapist and peer group members.     

Validation of the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale

The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS; Clance, 1985) was compared to the newly developed Perceived Fraudulence Scale (Kolligian & Sternberg, 1991). The two scales were found to have high internal consistency and to correlate in a similar manner with other measures. Further, discriminant validity evidence for the Impostor Phenomenon (IP) was provided by comparing the CIPS to measures of depression, self-esteem, social anxiety, and self-monitoring. The IP was related to, but substantially discriminable from, these constructs. Finally, construct validity evidence for the CIPS was provided through principal components analysis that yielded three stable factors: Fake, Discount, and Luck.     

Narcissistic characters with obsessive features: Diagnostic and treatment considerations

Conclusion In sum, in this article a mixed personality disorder is described that combines narcissistic and obsessive-compulsive features. These features include extreme perfectionism, narcissistic cathexis of the intellect, and obsessive-compulsive defenses against underlying narcissistic issues. In therapy, narcissistic characters with obsessive features frequently struggle between a need for engagement with and fear of engulfment by the therapist. Thus, while they may appear extroverted, they often remain aloof, and while they have a strong need to be understood, they frequently reject the therapist’s empathic statements. Therapy of the narcissistic character with obsessive features consists of two stages. In the first phase of treatment, the therapist addresses the patient’s narcissistic issues and provides an appropriate selfobject relationship. In the second phase of treatment (after greater self-development is established), the therapist begins to address the obsessive-compulsive issues of affective expression and control by assuming a more engaged, initiating, and personal stance with the client.