The Business Coach

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About What Coaching Can and Cannot Do For You, but Didn’t Know You Could Ask.

Dr. Steven Berglas is an executive coach and management consultant who as a faculty member of Harvard Medical School's department of Psychiatry for over 30 years, specialized in the treatment of narcissistic disorders. See full bio

August 10, 2008, Happiness

Comments on "John Edwards: A self-deceiving psycho-diagnostician."

John Edwards: A self-deceiving psycho-diagnostician.

By Dr. Steven Berglas on August 10, 2008 in The Business Coach

John Edwards is going to be psychologically devastated if he thinks that after last Friday’s “performance” he is on the road to redemption. Read More

His excuse was her cancer

Submitted by peter smith on August 10, 2008 - 11:43pm.

His excuse was her cancer was in remission. Stay classy, Edwards.

John Edwards

Submitted by belkis castro on August 11, 2008 - 5:58am.

Growing up with two narcissists, my father and brother, I personally saw how success and lack of success attributed to their self-destructive behavior. I am never suprised when politicians/celebrities are caught in the act beacause narcissists are attracted to those types of careers.

couple of questions

Submitted by Anonymous on August 11, 2008 - 6:15am.

Do you think Edwards is in a lot of psychological pain? Does he feel distress about the pain he has caused his wife and family? Do narcissists like him feel empathy at all?

Also, from your work with narcissists, do they enjoy their extramartial affairs? Is it an addiction?

Answers to your questions...

Submitted by Dr. Steven Berglas on August 11, 2008 - 8:22am.

Dr. B. As best I can, let me address your concerns: Your first question is the best; most insightful: "Do you think Edwards is in a lot of psychological pain?" My belief is ABSOLUTELY NOT, which is why I feel he prevaricated on Nightline, to the press, and probably to his wife. #2 "Does he feel distress about the pain he has caused his wife and family? Do narcissists like him feel empathy at all?" Many of the clients I have worked with whose dynamics resemble what I assume Edwards' are, often fall closer, in diagnostic terms, to sociopaths than narcissists. Those who do, as you can well imagine, suffer no pain and have zero empathy for those they hurt via their acting-out behavior. #3: "Also, from your work with narcissists, do they enjoy their extramartial affairs? Is it an addiction?" When I see clients who suffer SUPERNOVA BURNOUT I never, ever, see "sex addiction." Usually, if the men act-out with serial, i.e. Don Juan, affairs, they do so to either acquire notches on their belts or brag, "Hey, did you see the Victoria's Secret model who slept with me?" I once worked with a client --actually, a psychologist-- who was very self-destructive. He had sex with patients and took photos of the "beautiful ones" to display in his office (He called them "therapeutic miracles.") The problem for this man was that sex was devoid of pleasure. The only turn-on for him was power: Over pretty women and in the hospital system he worked for. Sort of a Polish Woody Allen (his movie Annie Hall takes its title from the clinical syndrome "Anhedonia.") Thanks, Dr.B.

Thank you for your reply to

Submitted by Anonymous on August 12, 2008 - 6:30am.

Thank you for your reply to my questions.

I can only hope Edwards someday gets it, how much pain he has caused for everyone. Right now some of his evasive answers ("I didn't love that woman" and "My wife's cancer was in remission at the time") don't show it. What a jerk.

Great Article!

Submitted by Don on August 11, 2008 - 7:24am.

This is definitely a great article but in my opinion, the worst part is that the mainstream news did not want to touch this story until it was confirmed. If it were a republican, he would have been pubically chastized a long time ago.

Reply to Don...

Submitted by Dr. Steven Berglas on August 11, 2008 - 9:17am.

Dr. B. Thanks for the kind words, and AMEN!

Edwards

Submitted by John Bobrowski on August 11, 2008 - 8:31am.

I think that is Edwards were a Republican, there would not have any significant ink since it would have been met with a full frontal media barrage.

Still, it is interesting to see how this plays out. I think Edwards in part suffers ffrom what a lot of educated people do when dealing with issues of this type (as well as self-admitted narcisism) -- that he does not have sufficent detachment to objectively determine why he is did what he did and what he has to do to fix it.

Judgment

Submitted by republican on August 11, 2008 - 8:57am.

Edwards was on Obama's shortlist for Vice President. What does that say about Obama's judgment?

Judgment

Submitted by Dr. Steven Berglas on August 11, 2008 - 9:28am.

Dr. B. I would love to divorce myself from the current race for U.S. President but, since Bill Clinton's debacle and disgrace, I cannot. I am ever more perplexed why, in a nation as "psychologically sensitive" as ours, the CHARACTER of our leaders is ignored on a regular basis. You raise an important question. Let me attempt to trump you by one that tears at my soul, both because I'm a Jew and because I have studied "executive comportment" for decades: What do you infer by the fact that a man allegedly promising to unify a nation, attended a church that, in myriad ways, lauded Louis Farrakhan? I REALLY don't get why this fact ALONE doesn't drive media outlets controlled by Jewish families (hint, hint) to go BONKERS! In truth, every person devoid of prejudice should rail against endorsing Farrakhan in any manner. I cannot see being "INVOLVED," let alone ACTIVE, in an organization that does. Why this evokes a, "Ho, Hum" has me believing (until I get feedback like yours) that I'm a player in a Fellini movie. Thanks for a needed reality check, SB

Teaching Moment for NPD, BPD, ASPD

Submitted by Mark on August 11, 2008 - 9:43am.

Hardly anyone knows what a personality disorder is, and this seems like the perfect "teaching opportunity" to enlighten people about these debilitating disorders.

John Edwards looks like a 9/9 DSM-IV NPD, and is sure in the running for ASPD too.
Rielle Hunter looks like a classic BPD.
Amazing that both the real NPD/ASPD Edwards and fictional NPD/ASPD Patrick Bateman took an interest (but didn't "love") in the BPD Rielle Hunter/"Alison Poole".

Teaching Moment

Submitted by Dr. Steven Berglas on August 11, 2008 - 12:41pm.

Dr. B.
I truly appreciate your input and couldn't agree with your primary contention,"Hardly anyone knows what a personality disorder is, and this seems like the perfect "teaching opportunity" to enlighten people about these debilitating disorders."

Here's the problem: It is unethical for shrinks to provide a diagnosis of someone they haven't met. I believe I can ethically state that a man seems representative of a "category" of individuals prone to exhibiting self-destructive behavior and simultaneously note that one or more personality disorders, or extraordinarily intense situational stress, can "trigger" these events. I've seen it both ways.

There is a danger (as with Barry Goldwater) in tossing around diagnoses. We feel on the right hand of the Lord doing so, but risk erring when we do.

That does NOT undermine your contention, it just calls for caution and lots of asterisks!

Thanks again,

Dr.B.

Interesting blog post. Need

Submitted by Gregory James Langlois on August 11, 2008 - 1:09pm.

Interesting blog post. Need to fix one error, though: Edwards ran with John Kerry, not Al Gore, in 2004.

Need

Submitted by Dr. Steven Berglas on August 11, 2008 - 9:10pm.

Dr. B. I cannot --CANNOT-- believe I made that error. Actually, since I'm so abashed I'll admit it was a Freudian slip. I won't expand (cannot, sorry), but I thank you and hope you'll laugh at and with me. Dr.B.

Motivation for becoming an elected Official?

Submitted by Rebecca on August 11, 2008 - 1:21pm.

It takes a lot of chutzpah to "put one's self out there" in a public election -- or does it? Does the desire to serve constituents take a back seat to ego-gratification? And is narcissistic personality disorder frequency alarmingly high among those who run for public office? And high school Homecoming Queen?

M otivation...

Submitted by Dr. Steven Berglas on August 11, 2008 - 9:14pm.

Dr. B.
There was a time when politicians ran due to a sense of (pardon my spelling) noblesse obliege. No longer, and that's part of my lament. I believe that long ago, political leaders might have had "inflated egos" (like the Homecoming Queen), but not the compensatory narcissistic tendencies we see so regularly these days.

Thanks for the comment!

Dr.B.

elizabeth edwards

Submitted by katherine stephens on August 18, 2008 - 5:32pm.

What of her ? She already knew of his cheating ways. Why not make a graceful exit using the "cancer card".They went on together to betray their staffs and financial supporters. Curious? Is this an example of the wife having the sumptoms on the husbands disease ?

RE:

Submitted by Undiagnosed on October 5, 2008 - 1:41am.

Very interesting debate started here !

I am ever more perplexed why,

Submitted by duji on June 19, 2009 - 2:14am.

I am ever more perplexed why, in a nation as "psychologically sensitive" as ours, the CHARACTER of our leaders is ignored on a regular basis.
Regards,
Lenkradfernbedienungsadapter

I am ever more perplexed why,

Submitted by duji4 on June 19, 2009 - 2:18am.

I am ever more perplexed why, in a nation as "psychologically sensitive" as ours, the CHARACTER of our leaders is ignored on a regular basis.
Regards,
Lenkradfernbedienungsadapter