ABSTRACT
As with the schizoid and borderline disorders of the self, the developmental difficulties faced by the narcissistic analysand can be understood as a closed intrapsychic system fueled by an intrapsychic split characterized by two fused units. This conceptualization can also be relied upon to understand the variance in narcissistic structures, such as the exhibitionistic, devaluing, and closet narcissistic disorder of the self. In essence, the narcissistic analysand lives in an inner world characterized by an inflated false defensive self desperately warding off fragmentation anxiety and the deflated false defensive self. Given the latter, the interpretation of narcissistic vulnerability is preferred over borderline confrontation.
