Narcissism and the Search of Sexual Identity

Narcissism is an inner self-image requiring an external confirmation. This is more evident in gender identity, as two clinical cases will support. The first is that of a young man accepting with difficulty his homosexuality. He was in individual therapy with the author, in private practice, for several years. The outcome was satisfying. The second case was followed in a psychiatric day care, where he was admitted for unclear reasons. He had several bouts of psychotic breakdown and progressively talked about being a victim of sexual abuse committed by his stepfather, as a child. Despite he was practicing various forms of sexuality, the patient assumed the fear of having an attraction for paedophilia, which he knew it was forbidden by law. This situation was the same for homosexuality in the past, and the first patient was confronted with attitudes linked with it, but eventually felt freer to accept this identity. The second patient, as a victim of a paedophile, was not protected by the law, but had to abide by it. Even if narcissism is opposed both to sexuality and to the object, the sexual and gender identity must integrate these aspects in a way acceptable to narcissism.