Research indicates that Narcissistic Personality Disorder is notoriously difficult to treat in therapy. Indeed people with narcissistic qualities may be less likely to come to or stick with psychotherapy. However, psychotherapists often see the psychological trauma in those impacted by pathological narcissists and narcissistic rage. In the outline of his book The Human Magnet Syndrome: Why We Love the People who Hurt Us, Psychotherapist Ross Rosenberg offers life strategies for those impacted by relationships with narcissists. While he does not excuse the damaging behaviours perpetrated by pathological narcissists, he does help some debunk popular myths which may suggest narcissists’ self-centredness and sense of self-importance come from a place of self-love, strength and confidence as opposed to weakness, self-loathing and deep feelings of inadequacy. He helps to remind us that such behaviours — often damaging to those around them — are indeed “defense mechanisms [that serve to] protect pathological narcissists from realizing the truth about their highly traumatized and mentally impaired selves”.
