NARCISTIČKE ADAPTACIJE I NJIHOVI STILOVI AFEKTIVNOG VEZIVANJA
NARCISSISTIC ADAPTATIONS AND THEIR ATTACHMENT STYLES

Summary/Abstract: This paper theoretically explores the link between the narcissism phenomenon and attachment styles. The first part of the paper gives a short review of the classic understanding of narcissism as a personality dimension and as a disorder, and a description of diagnostic criteria according to DSM-V (APA, 2014). After that, the paper explores the Gestalt perspective of narcissistic adaptation and guidelines for its diagnostics, highlighting the phenomenon of shame as the opposite polarity of narcissism. Further on, the paper reviews attachment styles in childhood and adulthood and emphasizes how different attachment styles correlate with various forms of narcissistic manifestations. Avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles are mainly found in persons with narcissistic adaptation, depending on the individual’s proximity to each of the polarities - shame or narcissism. Finally, the paper gives an overview and describes behaviors of individuals with narcissistic organization of experience in different relational fields, considering their dominant attachment patterns. The purpose of these descriptions is to serve as additional diagnostics when working with these types of clients. To conclude, the paper provides general guidelines for Gestalt therapeutic work and describes some of the challenges encountered when working with clients who have a narcissistic organization of experience.

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