The Hateful Patient - Difficult Patients in Psychotherapy
"One of the most important presenting symptoms of the narcissist in therapy is his (or her) insistence that he (or she) is equal to the psychotherapist in knowledge, in experience, or in social status. The narcissist in the therapeutic session spices his speech with psychiatric lingo and professional terms.
The narcissist distances himself from his painful emotions by generalising and analyzing them, by slicing his life and hurt and neatly packaging the results into what he thinks are "professional insights". His message to the psychotherapist is: there is nothing much that you can teach me, I am as intelligent as you are, you are not superior to me, actually, we should both collaborate as equals in this unfortunate state of things in which we, inadvertently, find ourselves involved."
In their seminal tome, "Personality Disorders in Modern Life" (New York, John Wiley & Sons, 2000), Theodore Millon and Roger Davis write (p. 308):
"Most narcissists strongly resist psychotherapy. For those who choose to remain in therapy, there are several pitfalls that are difficult to avoid ... Interpretation and even general assessment are often difficult to accomplish..."
The third edition of the "Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry" (Oxford, Oxford University Press, reprinted 2000), cautions (p. 128):
"... (P)eople cannot change their natures, but can only change their situations. There has been some progress in finding ways of effecting small changes in disorders of personality, but management still consists largely of helping the person to find a way of life that conflicts less with his character ... Whatever treatment is used, aims should be modest and considerable time should be allowed to achieve them."
The fourth edition of the authoritative "Review of General Psychiatry" (London, Prentice-Hall International, 1995), says (p. 309):
"(People with personality disorders) ... cause resentment and possibly even alienation and burnout in the healthcare professionals who treat them ... (p. 318) Long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis have been attempted with (narcissists), although their use has been controversial."
Read more about therapy of personality disordersSource: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
Related Tags: in, psychotherapy, patients, patient, the, difficult, hateful
Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Central Europe Review, Global Politician, PopMatters, eBookWeb , and Bellaonline, and as a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent. He was the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Find Out About Five Tips We All Found In This Anxiety Free Today Review.
Are you in search of an honest Anxiety Free Today review that actually has useful information? If so - Review: Don't Buy Or Download The Panic Away Ebook Or Program By Joe Barry Before You Read This
There have been lots of reports lately that anxiety and panic is at the root of mental instability. - Parenting Guide For Child Discipline
The subject of how parents should discipline their children is a perennial issue. Much of the debate - Counselling With Animals
Grief is a feeling many people experience during the course of their lives. Often, these feelings be - Are You Confused About Choosing Psychology As A Career ?
Before starting further about career opportunities in psychology, why not we first consider what is - Psychology School Prerequisites
In the last few years, a psychology justice degree has earned a vast popularity. In fact, in recent - Children With Anxiety
Many youngsters will experience fear or anxiety during their youth. An editorial in the December, 20 - Subliminal Learning - Is This Future?
This article is a quick introduction to the growing phenomenon of subliminal learning. This subject - Evolve Your Personality With Subliminal Messages
Subliminal messages are a pretty new phenomenon, but they are slowly starting to take over the inter - Is There Such A Thing As A Broken Heart?
Most view women as the more emotional ones of the species. It is said by some that it is why women h
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How Accurate Can A Psychic Be?
No reader will ever hit 100% accuracy. It doesn't matter if the reader uses numerology, tarot, astr - Knowledge Of Behavior
Also known as self-fulfilling prophecies, interpersonal expectancy effects have been shown to be a s - The Narcissist in Therapy
The narcissist regards therapy as a competitive sport. In therapy the narcissist usuall - How Do Images Move In And Out of the Mind?
How do images move in and out of the mind? Begin with this. While at first glance, this question may - Individual Perception And Society
People do not simply acquire knowledge about the objects in their social world. Instead, individuals - FAQ on Couple Therapy
Following questions & answers are written to help you gain a better understanding about couple thera - Balance: Entrepreneurial or Workaholic?
A workaholic is someone who has no identity beyond their work. Life is about so much more than what - Social Psychology: The Psychological Explanations of Social Phenomena
The various aspects of social psychology could be examined within the wide concepts of intelligence, - Why Does Cognitive Therapy Work?
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron Beck, is a structured, time-limited and pragmatic approach to - Pschological Signs and Symptoms
The first encounter between psychiatrist or therapist and patient (or client) is multi-phase
