New Insights into Treating Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Research on narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and the formulation of treatment techniques and treatments for NPD have markedly increased in recent years. Previously regarded as a somewhat “mystified” character disease, periodically deemed untreatable and mostly recognized for causing significant suffering in therapists attempting to treat affected people, we are now entering a more optimistic age. Motivated by a conference on Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) held two years prior by the Borderline Personality Disorder Training Institute, now the Gunderson Personality Disorder Training Institute, led by Dr. Lois Choi-Kain at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, I resolved to launch this Special Issue of the Journal of Personality Disorders, focused on pathological narcissism (PN) and NPD. The symposium was particularly beneficial as it sought to disseminate information on advancements in our comprehension and management of patients with PN or NPD. This is a significant advancement, since this spectrum of illnesses has often been generalized and briefly examined. Various factors have facilitated the progression of research and therapy for NPD. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) was retained in the 2013 revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) under Section II for personality disorders and was also…