Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Term Paper Example

Scholars have explicitly researched, documented and edified us on the social cultural causative agents of narcissistic personality disorders as childhood experiences ranging from unreliable parenting, overindulgence, excessive praise, and lack of realistic responses. It is essential to note that the cognitive-behavioral therapy is the main strategy of social-cultural theory. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic approach that is based on a combination of behavior therapy and cognitive therapy principles backed by research. Cognitive therapy bases its principles on the assumption that some thinking patterns are linked to triggering, or contributing to health problems. Its aim is to influence your perception and help your thought patterns be realistic and helpful. Conversely, the behavioral therapy is geared to changing harmful or unhelpful behaviors. Therefore, CBT is centered on changing disruptive thinking and behavior trends whose ultimate goal is altering distorted thoughts and recreating a straightforward and realistic personal image.

A therapist blends both therapies when dealing with patients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). According to Million & Davis (2000), CBT has been evaluated for efficacy and health care trend and evidence based treatment has recommended CBT over other approaches to NPD. Edward Thorndike (Behavioral therapist) and Donald Meichenbaum (Cognitive therapist) developed CBT in the 1970s. The therapists’ model dwelt on NPD’s existence and its development (phrased as the “here” and “how” of the condition). CBT is problem focused, and the therapist assists in selecting a specific strategy to address NPD in a patient.

CBT has six phases, which include; assessment, reconceptualization, skills acquisition, skills consolidation and application training, generalization and maintenance post treatment and assessment follow up. Reconceptualization is the core phase of CBT; therefore, during therapy session’s narcissist patients will meet a therapist for 5 to 20 weekly or fortnight sessions, each lasting an hour long (Schacter et al, 2011, p.74). The therapist affirms if the user is compatible with CBT or other theoretical preventive methods. Thereafter, therapists then inquire about medical history and background of patient. Patients get to choose their therapy plan: can either be, short, medium, or long term and make a consensus on what their session discussions will be.

Schacter, Gilbert & Wegner (2011) asserts that complete packaged CBT sessions encapsulate breaking down the problems into sub-problems, and a diary comes in handy for progress tracking. This helps to identify individual patterns, thoughts emotions, and feelings hence make out if they are unhelpful, or unrealistic. The therapist guides the patient in changing their thoughts and behaviors. In this regard, they are coerced in perceiving positives of helping others. The therapist recommends sets of “daily homework” to be practiced. Patients may then begin to question self-criticism or negative thoughts, and replaced with positive thoughts. They also need to recognize that they are headed to doing something that may make them feel unhappy hence refrain and do the contrary.

During therapy visits, patients discuss their progress since their last session then the therapist evaluates and suggests further exercise. The predominant advantage to a patient is they get to be in control of activities they get to do. The strength of CBT is tested on the ability of a patient to practice and develop their skills even when the sessions are over.

Millon & Davis (2000) further says that availability of CBT treatment is a variant of time and location of the patient. It is imperative that the risks of symptoms recurring exist, and thus, the acquired CBT skills will help you counteract it. On the contrary, CBT is spurned as it is not a quick fix for NPD. However, if a patient has high feeling, it is difficult to concentrate through therapy sessions. To overcome the anxiety that comes with narcissism, patients have to confront it. The set back is that it won’t alter their sense of entitlement to the therapy also call on medical assistance. This impediment is compounded with the focus of insurance agencies on short-term treatment that minimize depression symptoms thus ignoring the deeply rooted problems.

Ronningstam (2012) reports that a survey conducted depicted 60% of patients with narcissist disorder have been treated. It has helped them modify their sense of entitlement while the egocentric schema aided them to discover, and utilize their talent in helping others rather than for their individualistic gain. The elderly, however, posted the lowest success rate with mere 27% showing progress. The low percentage posted by the elderly is due to cohort effect. Thus, older people will be exposed to different values, and practices clashing with the background under which they were brought up. The elderly people processing speed decreases thus take longer to learn new things thus therapist should slow the pace of therapy. It is noteworthy that the established roles of elderly folk, mentality toward aging, and late age relationship hinder the administration of CBT to old people.

Millon & Davis (2000), further documents that the evolutionary process of CBT has led to Cognitive Emotional Behavioral Therapy (CEBT) and Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CCBT). CEBT developed in 2006 by Dr. Emma Gray offers an alternative in unsuccessful areas of CBT of relieving symptoms. Its core values are centered on motivation to structure believes and psychological education. CCBT overcomes preventive costs and inadequacy of associated with retaining a human therapist. The therapy is offered through interactive platforms such as PCS, internet or interactive voice response system.

Schema therapy depicted by Ronningstam (2010), is the most profound form of therapy developed by Jeffery Young. It incorporates a consortium of therapeutic approaches that is psychodynamic cognitive and behavioral. The therapy offers the excellent approach to treating NPD. The main composition of this therapy is that pattern change strategy over time and that narcissists should work on enhancing their ability to become more empathetic in daily relationships.

CBT is not effaceable in all patients; fails in others, hence the need to have back-up or alternative methods to alleviate NPD. Social cultural strategy falls back to individual psychotherapy treatment albeit its time consumption setback. The individuals start therapy by urging family members to seek out treatment. Relationship strategy or family therapy emphasizes on application of interpersonal skills, empathy problem solving effective expression, and problem solving solution. In psychotherapy, different modes of interpretation are employed. It is also vital to note that other techniques are borrowed, psychotherapy are open-ended and is meant to make the therapeutic environment more relaxed. The psychotherapy strategy is divided into expressive versus supportive via two techniques patient painful conflicts are suppressed and the attendant’s dysphonia and NPD symptoms are ameliorated (Millon & Davis, 2000,p.120).

Group therapies according to Schacter, Gilbert & Wegner (2011), narcissist idealizes group members as potential weaklings and devalue them hence not an idealistic strategy. They envision gathering with disdain and contempt. In this regard, they are compelled to work and adhere to group rule whilst succumbing to the leader. Group treatment efficacy dwells on receiving peer feedback rather than clinical opinion make is more popular. The group may contradict its progress when patients exhibit demanding behaviors, egocentrism, and social isolation.

Therefore, Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the numerous remedies to narcissistic personality disorder in reference. In line with this context, this information enlightens one on the effectiveness of the remedy in accordance to age a level of disorder. Therefore, social-cultural therapy affords an avenue for treating narcissistic personality in line with their symptom analysis and their causes.

References

Millon, T., & Davis, D. R. (2000). Personality Disorders in Modern Life. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Ronningstam, E. (2010). Narcissistic personality disorder: A current review. Current Psychiatry Report. 1(2), 68.

Schacter, D. L., Gilbert, D. T., & Wegner, D. M. (2011). Psychology. (2^nd ed). New York: Worth Publishers.