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ROME – Narcissism is now so widespread in society that it may no longer be considered a disease in itself, but only a 'trait' of a greater mental problem. The experts who in the USA are preparing the new edition of the DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual), the manual that defines the main psychiatric problems, are working on the 'downgrading'.
The decision, specifies the Boston Globe newspaper, has not yet been taken, but the majority of the committee of the American Psychiatric Association that is studying the problem is in favor of including narcissism within a broader framework, in which it would become one of a series of symptoms: "A narcissist is someone who has an unrealistic sense of superiority, accompanied by a total lack of empathy - explains John Oldham, one of the members of the commission - American companies are full of people with this problem".
The first trials of the new classification should start in the coming months, in which the problem is described as a personality trait that can have different degrees of severity: "The need for reclassification comes from the fact that many people can be narcissistic and still live peacefully in society - concludes another member, Carl Bell of the University of Illinois - this could easily be considered as a tendency of the personality".
January 25, 12:01 – ANSA Science and Medicine
The pathological narcissist
A certain amount of self-respect is desirable, however it is not easy to identify the point at which healthy narcissism turns into pathological narcissism. Narcissism is judged differently in relation to the phase of the life cycle that the person is going through and, to complicate things further, there is the fact that we live in a narcissistic culture in which superficiality often meets with greater consensus than substance and depth. This makes it more difficult to determine which traits indicate narcissistic personality disorder and which traits are mere cultural adaptations.
The pathological forms of narcissism are identified through the quality of the subject's relationships. Healthy interpersonal relationships can be recognized on the basis of certain qualities such as empathy and concern for each other's feelings, a genuine
