Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the clinical condition of narcissistic disorder in various ways and covers some of the many psychoanalytic concepts associated with it. The subtle perversion of healthy narcissistic aims is captured by the pejorative use of the adjective 'narcissistic' in western literature and media to describe someone who is behaving in a self-centred or self-important way. The book addresses the clinical challenges of therapy by recounting the case of 'Harry' in detail and offer a series of brief clinical examples. It looks at some of the major ways the concept of narcissism has evolved in the years since Sigmund Freud's original work. The book concludes with some comments about narcissistic disorder in Jung's personality and the impact this had on his work and the evolution of psychoanalysis.