Identifying Pathological Narcissism

Abstract The terms “pathological narcissism,” “narcissistic disorder,” and “narcissistic personality disorder” (NPD) have often been used interchangeably in the clinical literature. Other terms such as “narcissistic” and narcissistic “disturbances,” “features,” and “traits” also frequently occur in both clinical and social psychological discussions, often without any further definition. This chapter outlines and describes strategies for identifying pathological narcissism and NPD in terms of self-esteem and affect regulation, interpersonal relativeness, and superego functioning, as well as the clinical presentation of some of the significant narcissistic characteristics. For the purposes of clarity, the following definitions of pathological narcissism, narcissistic traits/features/characteristics, narcissistic disorder, and NPD will be used throughout this volume.