Addiction, shame, and narcissism

Anthony Weiner continues to provoke lots of discussion. Joseph Burgo asks in The Atlantic

What does the addict seek to avoid when he turns to his drug of choice, be it pharmacological, relational or sexual?

If Anthony Weiner needs continual admiration and reassurance from a variety of sexting partners, he must feel bad about himself on some level. As Nathanson has noted, a struggle with profound shame lies at the heart of a broad range of addictive behaviors such as over-eating, alcoholism and sexual compulsivity.

In other words, addictive behavior is a defense against unconscious shame.

Instead of facing himself and learning something about what drives him, Weiner resorted to his familiar, self-destructive defenses to escape from shame.

Only an in-depth examination of his complete shame-ridden character – where sexting addiction, narcissism, and political ambition all serve as psychological defense mechanisms – will allow Anthony Weiner to grow into the sort of person he (and the rest of us) could truly respect.