Pathological Sexuality and Paucity of Symbolisation: In Narcissistic Disorder

In this paper i should like to consider two of the many problems of patients suffering from narcissistic disorder, namely a tendency towards pathological psycho-sexual development, and the way in which their path towards symbolisation is partially if not totally blocked.

In his paper, ‘Research studies in the problems of assessment’, Edwards refers to the different uses of the term ‘narcissistic disorder’ by Kohut, Kernberg, Masterson, Mahler and Schwartz. He reminds us that perhaps more than any other concept that of narcissistic disorder is used in an exceedingly diverse way by different authors (EDWARDS 2). Because of this diversity I propose first to restate briefly views on narcissistic disorder which I have elaborated in previous papers (LEDERMANN 16, 17, 18).

I see the roots of narcissistic disorder in a severe disturbance in the early relationship of the baby to his mother in the first instance and secondarily, at a later date, to his father. When there is either a serious innate defect in the baby, or a gross deficiency in the mother's capacity to care for her baby, a healthy infant/mother dyad is not established. Fordham has speculated that such a baby, in order to survive, develops early defences that spring up spontaneously out of his original self (FORDHAM 3). These defences create a barrier between the baby and his mother and seriously interfere with deintegrative/reintegrative processes and hence with healthy ego formation. Furthermore, if there is no adequate father to support the mother and love the baby, the