Fragility narcissistic in adolescence: The Mexican skull as paradox of life and death

Abstract

Adolescence is a life cycle’s period marked by the management of instinctual, biological and social demands, which require an intense psychic work. The theme of identity generates unstable moments, as the reinterpretation of the Oedipal conflictive is taking place and the detachment of child’s place is required. Given these considerations, the fragility of the adolescent’s narcissism is expected, as the ideal maintenance process of the I is consolidating. It is essential to consider the fine line between narcissistic fragility, inherent to adolescence, and the helplessness shown by the traumatic. Thus, the aim of this article is to explore the psychic constitution process and the possible consequences of a weakened I in adolescence. To this end, a qualitative method of literature review and discussion of clinical vignettes was chosen, resulting in a theoretical and clinical questioning. It can be concluded that failures occurred in the psychic constitution of the subject acquire an increase in adolescence, requiring elaborative psychic work in this phase of life. Thus, the psychoanalytic listening is presented as teenage complexities research tool, enabling the development of the traumatic.

Keywords: adolescence, narcissism, psychoanalysis.