Understanding Narcissism and Narcissistic Traits with Dr. Craig Malkin | Being Well Podcast

We all have narcissistic traits. Having some sense of our own specialness isn’t just normal, it’s actually psychologically healthy. The problems start when people go beyond normal levels, and become addicted to feeling special.

Today I am joined by Dr. Craig Malkin to explore narcissism and narcissistic traits. We talk about the different forms narcissism takes, the difference between narcissistic traits and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), red flags, dealing with narcissists, treatment options, and finding the “right amount” of feeling special.

About our Guest: Craig is a Lecturer in Psychology for Harvard Medical School, a licensed psychologist with several decades of clinical experience, and the author of Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists. He also has a great YouTube channel.

Key Topics:
0:00 Introduction
1:20 Narcissism as a pervasive universal trait
3:30 What differentiates healthy narcissism vs. disordered narcissism?
5:30 “Triple E” - exploitation, entitlement, empathy impairments
6:20 Incapable of empathy, or unmotivated?
9:25 What distinguishes having narcissistic traits from having NPD?
13:45 Extraverted, covert, and communal narcissism
23:40 Healthy and unhealthy narcissistic traits often go together
27:10 Insecure attachment
29:00 Emotional hot potato
34:00 Social and cultural power dynamics
37:35 What does healing narcissism look like?
44:40 What modalities do you use in therapy?
47:15 Difficult relationships, communal activation, empathy prompts
52:55 Extinction bursts and using anxiety responses in therapy
56:05 How do you repair with your partner?
1:00:00 Recap

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Who Am I: I'm Forrest, the co-author of Resilient (https://amzn.to/3iXLerD) and host of the Being Well Podcast (https://apple.co/38ufGG0). I'm making videos focused on simplifying psychology, mental health, and personal growth.

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