Narcissus Also Has Gray Hair Narcissism in the Second Half of Life: Treatment from a Psychodynamic Perspective

Abstract

Noga Levine-keini and Shirley Ben-Shlomo

In this article, I examine via a therapeutic vignette alongside theoretical discussion the hypothesis that progression through the life cycle, together with its attendant losses, constitutes a particularly complex phase for individuals with a narcissistic structure. Changing reality destabilizes familiar defenses. On the one hand, regression, intensification, and even a break with reality may occur, along with desperate attempts to restore what has been destroyed; on the other hand, we may encounter situations in which rupture and defensive injury foster a softening of the psychic system. Such softening will manifest in greater flexibility, an increased willingness to view reality with sobriety, growth, and development. This advantage can add nuance to our thinking about therapeutic work with an aging population and its characteristic difficulties.

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