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On speaking of oneself by name
International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
|January 1, 1982
Summary
Referring to oneself by name can be a defense mechanism for individuals with narcissistic traits facing threats to self-esteem. This behavior may indicate a disturbance in self-perception, particularly in narcissistic pathology.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Psychoanalysis
Background:
- Investigates the phenomenon of referring to oneself by name.
- Focuses on a patient with narcissistic character pathology experiencing stress after his wife's suicide.
Observation:
- The patient frequently referred to himself by name as a defense against threats to self-esteem.
- Content and contextual analysis revealed this as a characteristic defensive maneuver.
Findings:
- Self-naming served to evoke self-images that negated guilt and shame.
- Therapeutic factors, including therapist countertransference, influenced this behavior.
- Referring to oneself by name signifies a disturbance in the sense of self, prominent in narcissistic pathology.
Implications:
- This behavior sheds light on the development of self-representation from early self-object relations.
- Reconciling separateness with relatedness is key to forming the concept of "I".
- Therapeutic relationships are crucial for developing a coherent sense of self when early developmental issues are reactivated.