The Deconstruction of Narcissism and the Function of the Object: Explorations in Psychoanalysis

The Deconstruction of Narcissism and the Function of the Object addresses the topic of narcissistic suffering and presents an innovative take on its psychoanalytic treatment through the deconstruction of its solipsism. Presenting a new approach which builds on intuitions described by Freud and Winnicott, René Roussillon introduces the project of reconstructing what remains of "narcissistic" and solipsistic propositions in the theories of narcissism. Roussillon’s work explores his views on narcissism, its multiple pathological manifestations and its connection to the concept of the object. Spanning topics such as sexualization and desexualization in psychoanalysis, the symbolizing function of the object, transference and associativity, this new approach to treatment provides more satisfactory therapeutic results than current practice which seeks to analyze narcissistic impasses from an intrapsychic perspective alone. This book will be of interest to psychoanalytic and psychodynamic clinicians.