The narcissist is an actor in a monodrama, yet forced to remain behind the scenes. The scenes take centre stage, instead. The narcissist does not cater at all to his own needs. Contrary to his reputation, the narcissist does not "love" himself in any true sense of this loaded word.

He feeds off other people, who hurl back at him an image that he projects to them. This is their sole function in his world: to reflect, to admire, to applaud, to detest – in a word, to assure him that he exists.

Otherwise, they have no right to tax his time, energy, or emotions – so he feels

To borrow Freud's trilateral model, the narcissist's Ego is weak, disorganized and lacks clear boundaries. Many of the Ego functions are projected. The Superego is sadistic and punishing. The Id is unrestrained.

Primary Objects in the narcissist's childhood were badly idealised and internalised.

His object relations are distraught and destroyed.

The Essay, "Malignant Self Love – Narcissism Revisited" offers a detailed, first hand account of what it is like to have a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It contains new insights and an organised methodological framework using a new psychodynamic language. It is intended for professionals.

The first part of the book comprises 102 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding narcissism and personality disorders. The posting of "Malignant Self Love – Narcissism Revisited" on the Web has elicited a flood of excited, sad and heart rending responses, mostly from victims of narcissists but also from people suffering from the NPD. This is a true picture of the resulting correspondence with them.

This book is not intended to please or to entertain. NPD is a pernicious, vile and tortuous disease, which affects not only the narcissist. It infects and forever changes people who are in daily contact with the narcissist. In other words: it is contagious. It is my contention that narcissism is the mental epidemic of the twentieth century, a plague to be fought by all means.

This book is my contribution to minimising the damages of this disorder.

Sam Vaknin

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