The Narcissistic Pursuit of Perfection

This book views the role of narcissism in analytic theory beginning with the writings of Freud and examines the conceptual changes that occurred with the development of ego psychology and object relations theory. With this revised edition the author expands his discussion of patients considered to be narcissistic personality disordered in order to discuss the issue of clinical limits. This is illustrated by case material from two attempts at the analysis of patients with latent psychosis. Discussions of countertransference and humiliation have also been added.

Preface to the Second Edition , Preface to First Edition , Theoretical Considerations , Narcissism , Narcissistic Personality Disorder , Entitlement, Self-Destructiveness, and the Fear of Humiliation , Countertransference , The Analyzability of Narcissistic Personality Disorders , Examples within the Classification , Levin and Kitty: Neurotic Narcissistic Personality and Normal Suppliant Personality Disorders , Stiva: An Entitled Hedonist , Dolly: A Depressed Neurotic Suppliant Personality Disorder , Vronsky: A Phallic-Narcissistic Character in Regression , Anna: A Stereotypical Female Narcissistic Personality Disorder , Aleksey Aleksandrovich: Narcissistic Investment in Bureaucratic Power , Sergey Ivanovich: Narcissistic Investment in Thinking , Narcissism and the Life Cycle , The Vicissitudes of Narcissism

Arnold Rothstein