Quotes from Diana Diamond

But the individual may use the capacity for mentalization in self-serving ways, either to control, seduce, or coerce others by anticipating their needs, or to avoid painful realities that do not converge with their distorted self concept. Bateman and Fonagy (2016) termed this process as hyper- or overactive mentalization.

Deficits in mentalizing have also been linked with identity diffusion

That attachment status shifts in the course of intensive psychodynamic therapy has been affirmed in a number of studies on change in attachment classification from insecure to secure, and from disorganized to organized after 1 year of psychodynamic treatment, including TFP

Both groups were characterized by a simplistic, one-dimensional, naïve concept of mental states, or by hyperactive mentalization (e.g., overelaborated and unconvincing interpretation of motivations, feelings, and beliefs of self and others; an RFS score of ?3).

Patients with combined NPD/BPD were significantly more likely to be classified as dismissing (characterized by idealization/devaluation of others and dismissal of need for closeness) or cannot classify (e.g., characterized by oscillation between angry preoccupation or passive enmeshment with attachment figures and dismissing devaluation of them) than was the BPD group.

In sum, our findings suggest that narcissistic pathology in the context of BPD may be a protective factor that helps narcissistic patients to stay in treatment, limit self-destructiveness, and contain disorganization in the face of early traumatic attachment experiences

difficulties in interpersonal functioning, particularly with intimacy and empathy.

The need of those with narcissistic pathology to cling to ideal images of self and others means they do not have access to the dependent aspects of self, and cannot tolerate dependency in others, which is seen as a sign of weakness.

The tendency of those with narcissistic disorder to project such dreaded aspects of self onto others leads them to keep such denigrated others at a distance, but also paradoxically binds them to others who contain devalued aspects of self

In those with narcissistic pathology in the higher range of functioning, enduring relationships may be maintained but they often are superficial and shallow, organized primarily to buttress self-esteem and protect the grandiose self