Journal of Neuropsychiatry

Spontaneous Remission of Cluster B Personality Disorders

33^rd Edition of International Conference on Psychiatry & Mental Health
April 28-29, 2021 Webinar

Sam Vaknin

Southern Federal University

Keynote: J Neuropsychiatry

Abstract

Most patients diagnosed with BPD lose the diagnosis spontaneously or with the help of DBT, but retain the dysfunctional behaviors associated with it. Same goes for NPD and As PD. This raises two questions:
1. What is the meaning of "healing" when the dysfunctional behaviors persevere?
2. Why this disconnect? Answers: Healing is a permanent alteration in the clinical profile of the patient and in her psychodynamics. In healthier clients, it induces behavior modification. But not in cluster B. In cluster B it is an either/or proposition: behavior modification OR healing.
The reasons for the disconnect: dissociative self-states (subpersonalities, pseudoidentities) in these post-traumatic conditions, anxiety, rich fantasy life, identity disturbance, reactance, external locus of control (outsourcing ego functions), learned helplessness (low personal autonomy and self-efficacy).

Biography

He spent the past 6 years developing a treatment modality for Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Over the years, with volunteers, it was found to be effective with clients suffering from a major depressive episode as well.