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Disney’s Beauty and the Beast chronicle the love story of Belle and the Beast. The Beast a once handsome prince, is turned into a wolf-like creature by a witch, and doomed to live as such till he finds true love. Belle is a young intelligent young woman living in a small French town with her “eccentric” scientist father. The two paths cross when Belle’s father is kidnapped by the Beast for trespassing as he tries to escape wolves in the woods on his way back home from his travels. Belle, being led by her father’s horse, is able to track his steps back to the castle and barters her freedom for that of her father’s. The romance between the two develops while she is held captive in the enchanted castle by the Beast as they begin to look past their physical appearance and initial dislike. However, the couple’s romance is thwarted by the antagonist in the story in his aim for superiority and grandeur. Belle, perceived as an unattainable prospect by her townsman catches the eyes of antagonist Gaston. Gaston is a local hunter viewed by many as the most eligible bachelor. He is envied by most, and has an inflated sense of self which causes him to be haughty. It is thus my assertion that Gaston meets the criterion for Narcissistic Personality Disorder or NPD. Narcissism considered a Cluster B personality disorder is described in the Diagnostic Criteria Manual 5th edition as a “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior),  a need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by 5 criterions of the possible 9” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The first criterion for Narcissistic personality disorder is a grandiose sense of self-importance without achievements. The second is a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. The third is the belief that he or she is special and unique and can only by be understood by other individuals in their social standing. A narcissistic individual requires excessive admiration, have a sense of entitlement, are interpersonally exploitive, lack empathy, is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her and shows arrogant behaviors. However, it is not self-inflation per se that defines narcissistic dysfunction, but rather a relative impairment in self-regulation, with pathological narcissism involving “significant regulatory deficits and maladaptive strategies to cope with disappointments and threats to  a positive self-image” (Pincus & Lukowitsky, 2010, p. 426). Gaston meets several  of criterions listed for narcissism. During numerous scenes in the movie Gaston can be seen admiring himself in the mirror as he extols his own beauty. His preoccupation with his beauty meets criterion A2 for Narcissistic personality disorder. His posture is that of extreme confidence, as his shoulders are pushed back, head is stuck up in the air displaying a pathological grandiose self. He commands attention due to his psychical prowess and is listened to by all giving him power which he feeds off of. The sense of self-importance he displays through these actions coincides with criterion A1, and his haughty behaviors lends itself to criterion A9. Additionally, in one of the musical numbers in the movie the town’s people glorify his strength, appeal and prowess as they exclaim “For there’s no man in town half as manly, Perfect, a pure paragon! You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley and they’ll tell you whose team they prefer to be on”. The women can be seen swooning whenever he walks by, admiring his physic and daydreaming of being chosen by him. Gaston thrives off their admiration. The excess admiration by the townsmen only served to increase his belief that he is superior to all. His need for excess admiration meets criterion A4 for Narcissistic personality disorder. Moreover, this is why it is difficult for him to accept Belle’s rejection of his advances. It aggravates him to be disregarded as he expects to be recognized as superior by all. When rebuffed by Belle Gaston proclaims “Who does she think she is? NO one says “no” to Gaston!” The level of arrogance that he displays during this interaction and his expectation to be favorably regarded meets criterion A5 of NPD.

Gaston is also exploitive of those around him which meets criterion A6 for Narcissistic personality disorder. This can be seen through his close associate Lefou. Lafou is seen throughout the film as the right hand of Gaston. He comforts Gaston when down, and cleans up his mistake. However, Gaston has no regard for Lafou and treats him like a glorified servant. Although, the illustration display both men dressed in the same manner which  most likely denote that they are in the same social status. Nevertheless, Gaston uses Lafou as a human shield and throws him in the face of danger with no disregard for anyone’s well-being but his own.

NPD is difficult to treat due to client ‘s grandiosity and defensiveness. Furthermore, clinical guidelines and empirically  supported treatment has yet to be formulated. Thus, for patients with narcissistic personality disorder, researchers recommend referral for empirically supported treatments for borderline personality disorder that have adaptations for narcissistic personality disorder. In particular, they recommend mentalization-based therapy, transference-focused psychotherapy  and schema-focused psychotherapy” (Caligor, Levy, Frank, and  Yeomans , 2015,  p.420). Therefore,  in creating a treatment plan for Gaston, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specifically Shema focused Therapy(ST)  can be effective in dismantling his  pathological grandiose self. Cognitive Behavioral therapy is useful in highlighting  self-schemas such as entitlement which is usually developed by parental overindulgence. “CBT involves a structured effort at modifying such schemas and behaviors, with treatment goals based on the patient’s agreement regarding the costs of narcissistic attitudes and behaviors”(Freeman & Fox, 2013).

Shema focused Therapy(ST) had better results than “psychological  treatments or humanistic– existential–experiential approach for a mixed group of personality disorders (e.g., avoidant, dependent, obsessive–compulsive, histrionic, narcissistic, and paranoid personality disorders)” ( Beck, 1995, p.14). In utilizing ST, narcissism can be regulated through certain practices that examine the client’s distorted internal representations of self and others. In a perspective treatment plan using ST, the long-term goal of treatment for Gaston will be to establish a more realistic viewpoint of himself and garner insight on his defensiveness. This will enable him to gain awareness on reality and significantly dispel his false grandiose self. The completion date of treatment  will be determined based the severity of the diagnosis, which for Gaston is severe. Therefore, the anticipated date of completion will be one year  with three face-to-face sessions per week. Prior to the commencement of treatment Gaston will undergo a comprehensive assessment in order assess his coping style, schema, and psychological issues.

Once treatment has begun, Gaston will  be provided with several activities and homework assignments  to help him establish a more realistic viewpoint of himself and others. One such assignment will be the fact and opinion assignment. He will be given a list of “facts” such as “fat people are lazy, or I am lazy”  to take home and then asked to check off if they are fact are opinion. During the session following the assignment, a discussion will be had with Gaston concerning challenging the thoughts that he may have of others. Gaston will be asked to further examine his schemas during activities such as the chair exercise and journaling. The topics that will be discussed throughout the year will be empathy, understanding the need to compete, defenses, and value systems and ethics. One of the  main objectives of the treatment will be for Gaston to  start seeing other’s perspective. As Stephen Covey stated “to change ourselves effectively, we first have to change our perceptions”.

Reference

American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental

disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Beck, J. S. (1995). Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: Guilford Press.

Caligor E., Levy K. N., Frank E., Yeomans, F. E., (2015). Narcissistic personality disorder;

diagnosis and clinical challenges. American Journal of Psychiatry 172(5), 415-422.

Freeman, A., & Fox, S. (2013). Cognitive behavioral perspectives on the theory and treatment of

the narcissistic character. In J. S. Ogrodniczuk, J. S. Ogrodniczuk (Eds.) , Understanding

and treating pathological narcissism (pp. 301-320). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14041-018

Pincus, A. L., & Lukowitsky, M. R. (2010). Pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality

disorder. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 421–446. doi:10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.13121

<!-- Disney’s Beauty and the Beast chronicle the love story of Belle and the Beast. The Beast a once handsome prince, is turned into a wolf-like creature by a witch, and doomed to live as such till he finds true love. Belle is a young intelligent young woman living in a small French town with her “eccentric” scientist father. The two paths cross when Belle’s father is kidnapped by the Beast for trespassing as he tries to escape wolves in the woods on his way back home from his travels. Belle, being led by her father’s horse, is able to track his steps back to the castle and barters her freedom for that of her father’s. The romance between the two develops while she is held captive in the enchanted castle by the Beast as they begin to look past their physical appearance and initial dislike. However, the couple’s romance is thwarted by the antagonist in the story in his aim for superiority and grandeur. Belle, perceived as an unattainable prospect by her townsman catches the eyes of antagonist Gaston. Gaston is a local hunter viewed by many as the most eligible bachelor. He is envied by most, and has an inflated sense of self which causes him to be haughty. It is thus my assertion that Gaston meets the criterion for Narcissistic Personality Disorder or NPD. Narcissism considered a Cluster B personality disorder is described in the Diagnostic Criteria Manual 5th edition as a “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by 5 criterions of the possible 9” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The first criterion for Narcissistic personality disorder is a grandiose sense of self-importance without achievements. The second is a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. The third is the belief that he or she is special and unique and can only by be understood by other individuals in their social standing. A narcissistic individual requires excessive admiration, have a sense of entitlement, are interpersonally exploitive, lack empathy, is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her and shows arrogant behaviors. However, it is not self-inflation per se that defines narcissistic dysfunction, but rather a relative impairment in self-regulation, with pathological narcissism involving “significant regulatory deficits and maladaptive strategies to cope with disappointments and threats to a positive self-image” (Pincus & Lukowitsky, 2010, p. 426). Gaston meets several of criterions listed for narcissism. During numerous scenes in the movie Gaston can be seen admiring himself in the mirror as he extols his own beauty. His preoccupation with his beauty meets criterion A2 for Narcissistic personality disorder. His posture is that of extreme confidence, as his shoulders are pushed back, head is stuck up in the air displaying a pathological grandiose self. He commands attention due to his psychical prowess and is listened to by all giving him power which he feeds off of. The sense of self-importance he displays through these actions coincides with criterion A1, and his haughty behaviors lends itself to criterion A9. Additionally, in one of the musical numbers in the movie the town’s people glorify his strength, appeal and prowess as they exclaim “For there’s no man in town half as manly, Perfect, a pure paragon! You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley and they’ll tell you whose team they prefer to be on”. The women can be seen swooning whenever he walks by, admiring his physic and daydreaming of being chosen by him. Gaston thrives off their admiration. The excess admiration by the townsmen only served to increase his belief that he is superior to all. His need for excess admiration meets criterion A4 for Narcissistic personality disorder. Moreover, this is why it is difficult for him to accept Belle’s rejection of his advances. It aggravates him to be disregarded as he expects to be recognized as superior by all. When rebuffed by Belle Gaston proclaims “Who does she think she is? NO one says “no” to Gaston!” The level of arrogance that he displays during this interaction and his expectation to be favorably regarded meets criterion A5 of NPD. Gaston is also exploitive of those around him which meets criterion A6 for Narcissistic personality disorder. This can be seen through his close associate Lefou. Lafou is seen throughout the film as the right hand of Gaston. He comforts Gaston when down, and cleans up his mistake. However, Gaston has no regard for Lafou and treats him like a glorified servant. Although, the illustration display both men dressed in the same manner which most likely denote that they are in the same social status. Nevertheless, Gaston uses Lafou as a human shield and throws him in the face of danger with no disregard for anyone’s well-being but his own. NPD is difficult to treat due to client ‘s grandiosity and defensiveness. Furthermore, clinical guidelines and empirically supported treatment has yet to be formulated. Thus, for patients with narcissistic personality disorder, researchers recommend referral for empirically supported treatments for borderline personality disorder that have adaptations for narcissistic personality disorder. In particular, they recommend mentalization-based therapy, transference-focused psychotherapy and schema-focused psychotherapy” (Caligor, Levy, Frank, and  Yeomans , 2015,  p.420). Therefore, in creating a treatment plan for Gaston, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specifically Shema focused Therapy(ST)  can be effective in dismantling his  pathological grandiose self. Cognitive Behavioral therapy is useful in highlighting self-schemas such as entitlement which is usually developed by parental overindulgence. “CBT involves a structured effort at modifying such schemas and behaviors, with treatment goals based on the patient’s agreement regarding the costs of narcissistic attitudes and behaviors”(Freeman & Fox, 2013). Shema focused Therapy(ST) had better results than “psychological treatments or humanistic– existential–experiential approach for a mixed group of personality disorders (e.g., avoidant, dependent, obsessive–compulsive, histrionic, narcissistic, and paranoid personality disorders)” ( Beck, 1995, p.14). In utilizing ST, narcissism can be regulated through certain practices that examine the client’s distorted internal representations of self and others. In a perspective treatment plan using ST, the long-term goal of treatment for Gaston will be to establish a more realistic viewpoint of himself and garner insight on his defensiveness. This will enable him to gain awareness on reality and significantly dispel his false grandiose self. The completion date of treatment will be determined based the severity of the diagnosis, which for Gaston is severe. Therefore, the anticipated date of completion will be one year with three face-to-face sessions per week. Prior to the commencement of treatment Gaston will undergo a comprehensive assessment in order assess his coping style, schema, and psychological issues. Once treatment has begun, Gaston will be provided with several activities and homework assignments  to help him establish a more realistic viewpoint of himself and others. One such assignment will be the fact and opinion assignment. He will be given a list of “facts” such as “fat people are lazy, or I am lazy” to take home and then asked to check off if they are fact are opinion. During the session following the assignment, a discussion will be had with Gaston concerning challenging the thoughts that he may have of others. Gaston will be asked to further examine his schemas during activities such as the chair exercise and journaling. The topics that will be discussed throughout the year will be empathy, understanding the need to compete, defenses, and value systems and ethics. One of the main objectives of the treatment will be for Gaston to  start seeing other’s perspective. As Stephen Covey stated “to change ourselves effectively, we first have to change our perceptions”. Reference American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Beck, J. S. (1995). Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: Guilford Press. Caligor E., Levy K. N., Frank E., Yeomans, F. E., (2015). Narcissistic personality disorder; diagnosis and clinical challenges. American Journal of Psychiatry 172(5), 415-422. Freeman, A., & Fox, S. (2013). Cognitive behavioral perspectives on the theory and treatment of the narcissistic character. In J. S. Ogrodniczuk, J. S. Ogrodniczuk (Eds.), Understanding and treating pathological narcissism (pp. 301-320). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14041-018

Pincus, A. L., & Lukowitsky, M. R. (2010). Pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 421–446. doi:10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.13121 -->