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Shame in relation to narcissistic disturbance
Author(s) -
Mollon Phil
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1984.tb02580.x
Subject(s) - shame , psychology , narcissism , relation (database) , affect (linguistics) , psychology of self , social psychology , psychoanalysis , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , communication , database , computer science
For some patients, whose sense of self is fragile, shame may be a more important affect than guilt. It is suggested here that shame functions to enhance and preserve the sense of self, and that shame arises particularly in people whose early environment has impeded the emergence of a cohesive sense of self. Using a clinical illustration several features of shame are described, including its association with vision and with sexuality, and its role in certain kinds of depression; the early infantile precursors of shame are also discussed. The clinical implications are outlined.