Narcissism, a Relational Aspect of Dissociation

Howell, Elizabeth F.

doi:10.1300/j229v04n03_04

Cited by 28 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Therefore, as according to the anti-dissociation model, self-harm behaviors are employed to establish a sense of self, subjectivity, and existence that have been compromised by dissociation (Klonsky, 2007); narcissistic defenses may moderate this association. More specifically, narcissistic defenses, suggested by Howell (2003) as reflecting a relational expression of trauma-driven dissociative states, may intervene in this process; individuals who employ these defenses use their interactions with others, concrete or symbolic, in an attempt to establish subjectivity. However, the results of such attempts are different for each type of narcissism.…”

Section: The Moderating Role Of Narcissismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Differential Role of Narcissism in the Relations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dissociation, and Self-Harm

Talmon

Ginzburg

2018

J Interpers Violence

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Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is considered a risk factor for self-harm behaviors. According to the anti-dissociation model of self-harm, the relation between CSA and self-harm is mediated by dissociation. However, inconclusive evidence supporting this model suggests that this association may be moderated by vulnerability factors. Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism represent distinct patterns of behaviors intended to deal with unmet needs of recognition. The aim of the study was to examine a model in which the relation between CSA and self-harm is mediated by dissociation, and the relation between dissociation and self-harm is moderated by grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism. A battery of self-reported questionnaires including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Dissociative Experiences Scale, Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, and Brief-Pathological Narcissism Inventory were filled out by 766 college/university students. Results indicated that self-harm was related to CSA through the mediation of dissociation. Moreover, the analyses yielded significant interactions of both vulnerable and grandiose narcissism with dissociation in predicting self-harm; the relation between dissociation and self-harm was significant among individuals with high levels of vulnerable narcissism, as well as among individuals with low levels of grandiose narcissism. These findings support the anti-dissociation model of self-harm. The findings also highlight the complex and ambiguous role of narcissism in the long-term adjustment of CSA survivors.

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Section: The Moderating Role Of Narcissismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Differential Role of Narcissism in the Relations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dissociation, and Self-Harm

Talmon

Ginzburg

2018

J Interpers Violence

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“…Projective identification serves as a regulator of interpersonal distance (e.g., by inducing anger as an aversive factor) in conditions where fusion becomes unbearable (Battegay, 2008). In fact, projective identification is based on interpersonal dissociation where the subject of emotions, thoughts, and behavior becomes contentious (Howell, 2003). The capacity of fusion may turn to a threat to individual autonomy in certain conditions, leading to loss of boundaries.…”

Section: Dissociation and Attachment: Personal And Interpersonalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Howell (2003) conceptualized pathological narcissism as a trauma-related condition and the interpersonal aspect of dissociation. The presence of overblown self-object representations in the internal world may be a consequence of non-availability of appropriate relationships in the external world.…”

Section: Internal and External Phobias: The Need—fear Dilemmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Parallel-Distinct Structures of Internal World and External Reality: Disavowing and Re-Claiming the Self-Identity in the Aftermath of Trauma-Generated Dissociation

Şar

2017

Front. Psychol.

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The nature of consciousness and the autonomy of the individual's mind have been a focus of interest throughout the past century and inspired many theories and models. Revival of studies on psychological trauma and dissociation, which remained outside mainstream psychiatry, psychology, and psychoanalysis for the most part of the past century, has provided a new opportunity to revisit this intellectual and scientific endeavor. This paper attempts to integrate a series of empirical and theoretical studies on psychological consequences of developmental traumatization, which may yield further insight into factors which threaten the integrity of human consciousness. The paper proposes that an individual's experience of distorted reality and betrayal precipitates a cyclical dynamic between the individual and the external world by disrupting the developmental function of mutuality which is essential for maintenance of the integrity of the internal world while this inner world is in turn regulated vis-à-vis external reality. Dissociation -the common factor in all types of post-traumatic syndromes- is facilitated by violation of boundaries by relational omission and intrusion as represented by distinct effects and consequences of childhood neglect and abuse. Recent research conducted on clinical and non-clinical populations shows both bimodal (undermodulation and overmodulation) and bipolar (intrusion and avoidance) neurobiological and phenomenological characteristics of post-traumatic response. These seem to reflect “parallel-distinct structures” that control separate networks covering sensori-motor and cognitive-emotional systems. This understanding provides a conceptual framework to assist explanation of diverse post-traumatic mental trajectories which culminate in a common final pathway comprised of partly overlapping clinical syndromes such as complex PTSD, dissociative depression, dissociative identity disorder (DID), or “borderline” phenomena. Of crucial theoretical and clinical importance is that these maladaptive post-traumatic psychological formations are regarded as processes in their own right rather than as a personality disorder innate to the individual. Such mental division may perform in that internal detachment can serve to preserve the genuine aspects of the subject until such time as they can be reclaimed via psychotherapy. The paper attempts to integrate these ideas with reference to the previously proposed theory of the “Functional Dissociation of Self” (Şar and Öztürk, 2007).

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“…In this sense, because of the temporal discontinuity caused by TGA, all patients with TGA experience a kind of dissociative amnesia during the acute phase. According to Howell (2003) , narcissism can be understood as a consequence of dissociation. To maintain a version of the environment that rejects the failure to understand the situation, individuals have to invest the self strongly, in opposition to the external, threatening environment or people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Pronoun Use As a Marker Of Structural Dissociation In Functional Amnesiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Episodic Autobiographical Memory Impairment and Differences in Pronoun Use: Study of Self-Awareness in Functional Amnesia and Transient Global Amnesia

et al. 2021

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The subjective experience associated to memory processing is the core of the definition of episodic autobiographical memory (EAM). However, while it is widely known that amnesia affects the content of memories, few studies focused on the consequences of an impairment of EAM on the subjective self, also called the I-self. In the present study, we explored the I-self in two puzzling disorders that affect EAM: functional amnesia, which has an impact on autobiographical memory, and transient global amnesia (TGA), which only affects episodic memory. I-self was assessed through an original measure of self-integration in autobiographical narratives, namely the use of general or personal pronouns. Results showed that patients with functional amnesia tended to use general pronouns, whereas patients with TGA preferentially used the first person. The link between I-self and depersonalization-derealisation tendencies was also explored, showing dissociative tendencies in patients with functional amnesia but not in patients with TGA. We discuss these results from a combined neuropsychological and psychopathological perspective, with a view to proposing an explanatory model of the links between self-awareness and the episodic component of autobiographical memory.

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Narcissism, a Relational Aspect of Dissociation

Cited by 28 publications

References 14 publications

The Differential Role of Narcissism in the Relations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dissociation, and Self-Harm

The Differential Role of Narcissism in the Relations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dissociation, and Self-Harm

Parallel-Distinct Structures of Internal World and External Reality: Disavowing and Re-Claiming the Self-Identity in the Aftermath of Trauma-Generated Dissociation

Episodic Autobiographical Memory Impairment and Differences in Pronoun Use: Study of Self-Awareness in Functional Amnesia and Transient Global Amnesia

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