Narcissism (Ideas in Psychoanalysis) - Softcover

Holmes, Jeremy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1840462450 ISBN 13: 9781840462456

Publisher: Icon,Totem Books, 2001

Synopsis

Self-knowledge is a key goal in psychotherapy, and liking oneself is a precondition for liking others. Yet to be in love with oneself is at best suspect, at worst a tragic fate condemning the afflicted to a life deprived of true intimacy.

In this book, Jeremy Holmes traces the various manifestations of narcissism in literature and psychotherapy. From Ted Hughes' "Tales from Ovid" to the contributions of Freud, Klein, Rosenfeld, Kernberg and Kohut, narcissis is revealed as a universal psychological phenomenon. The psychiatric diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder is described, as is the distinction between healthy and unhealthy narcissism. Pathological forms of narcissism are seen here as an attempt to find a secure base in the face of environmental difficulty or trauma. The book concludes with a discussion of various treatment approaches which can help lessen the fundamental loneliness of the narcissistic sufferer.

About this title

About the Author:

Jeremy Holmes is Consultant Psychiatrist/Psychotherapist in North Devon, Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy at Exeter University, and Chair of the Psychotherapy Faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. His interests are in attachment theory, the integration of psychotherapy within psychiatry and the treatment of severe personality disorder.

About this edition

• Publisher: Icon,Totem Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1840462450
• ISBN 13: 9781840462456
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80