Weiblicher Narzissmus – Zwischen Selbstzweifel und Grandiosität

Abstract

Female narcissism describes the personality of women who have a wounded self-esteem and compensate for this with a perfect narcissistic facade. Through performance, attractiveness, perfectionism and conformity, they try to compensate for their insecurities and show the world an image of themselves that does not match their inner experience. They appear self-confident but feel insecure and full of self-doubt. Where so-called male narcissism is rooted in grandiosity, female narcissism is based on feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. The concept of female narcissism should not be misunderstood as discriminating against women through a gender-specific attribution. It merely serves to categorize the narcissistic expression as it is found mainly in women and less often in men. It emphasizes the importance of the vulnerable aspect of a narcissistic structure, which has been less the focus of scientific and therapeutic consideration than the grandiose. Although the women appear to have no problems in the therapy, seem to have everything under control, and perfectly conceal their suffering, they are to a great extent wounded in their self-esteem and in need of attention, support, and orientation. Under the protection of the therapeutic relationship they experience a new access to themselves, to their needs and feelings. In this way they overcome the narcissistic self-alienation and attachment disorder, which expresses itself on the one hand in fear of abandonment and on the other hand in fear of closeness. The goal of therapy is to overcome the opposites of their feelings and behavior and to access an expanded knowledge of themselves.