You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Ever since the DSM-III recognized Narcissistic Personality Disorder as a distinct entity, attempts have been made to refine its phenome-nological portrait. An important aspect of these efforts (Akhtar, 1989; Akhtar & Thomson, 1982; Cooper, 1989a; Horowitz, 1989; Kernberg, 1989; Ronningstam, 1988; Ronningstam & Gunderson, 1989) has been to note that the characteristic manifestations of this disorder - grandiosity, exhibitionism, envy, ambition - are sometimes hidden underneath a superficial facade of modesty and shyness. A detailed clinical description of this variant of narcissistic personality disorder, and of its distinctions from the usual flamboyant type, have not yet been provided.
In this paper, I will attempt to delineate the profile of such a “shy narcissist”. I will do so by combining the insights gleaned from (1) revisiting the pertinent material covered in my two earlier reviews (Akhtar, 1989; Akhtar & Thomson, 1982) of the literature on narcissistic personality; (2) relevant publications by others since my last review of the topic; and (3) my own experience of treating narcissistic patients. I will also highlight the similarities and differences the shy narcissistic personality has with the usual narcissistic personality and certain other personality disorders. I will conclude by commenting upon the implications of recognizing this syndrome.