TRAITS OF NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a complex and often misunderstood mental health condition characterized by a pattern of grandiosity, feeling privileged, entitled, and expecting preferential treatment.
Rather than the flexible and reality-based self-experience that characterizes normal identity formation, the sense of self in narcissistic personality disorder is brittle and far from reality. This fragile sense of self is predicated on maintaining an exceptional view of oneself.
SYMPTOMS OF NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER:
Individuals with NPD may present to primary care services with a variety of complaints, but a common theme is that their relationships do not live up to their elevated standards and expectations.
1. GRANDIOSITY/SENSE OF SUPERIORITY :
Individuals with NPD often exaggerate their importance and achievements. They may have persistent fantasies of success, power, attractiveness, intellectual superiority or ideal love.
Maintaining a grandiose sense of self can provide a more or less stable self-experience for the individual with narcissistic personality disorder.
It comes at the cost of denial of realities that do not support grandiosity, leaving the individual excessively reliant on external feedback for self-definition.
2. NEED FOR CONSTANT ADMIRATION:
A constant need for admiration and validation is the core feature of NPD. People with the disorder often seek attention and praise to reinforce their self-esteem. These people display an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and show arrogant and haughty behaviors to maintain their grandiose self-image.
3. LACK OF EMPATHY:
A significant symptom of NPD is a lack of empathy for others. Individuals with the disorder often struggle to recognize or care about the feelings and needs of those around them, leading to exploitative behaviors. They believe their feelings are superior and genuine, far more than others.
4. MANIPULATIVE & EXPLOITATIVE BEHAVIOR:
People with NPD exploit and manipulate others to achieve their own goals. They often use relationships for personal gain and show little regard for the impact on others.
A sense of victimhood or entitlement is common, with the narcissist blaming others for their bad behavior. They often use the dialogue ‘You made me do this’ to justify their nasty behavior. They criticize people out loud for faults they see in others and unsee in themselves.
5. ARROGANCE AND ENVY:
Arrogant behaviors and a sense of entitlement are typical in NPD. Narcissists believe that people are jealous of them, while they themselves are envious of others. Regardless of severity, the grandiosity and defensiveness that characterize narcissistic personality disorder militate against acknowledging problems and vulnerabilities and make engagement in any form of psychotherapy difficult.
6. DIFFICULTY IN RELATIONSHIPS:
Genuine engagement with others can threaten the stability of the grandiose sense of self, by confronting the individual with the painful reality that others have attributes that they lack. As a result, they tend to engage in superficial relationships organized to support self-esteem and self-definition, they also tend to withdraw from social situations where they feel vulnerable.
Some narcissists report feelings of emptiness, uneasiness and despair; in others, feelings of shame, humiliation and worthlessness may predominate, particularly in relation to events such as the break-up of a relationship or loss of their job.
They often have little insight that their difficulties are due to their own problematic personality traits and instead externalize their problems, projecting them onto others.
A WORD FROM MENTAL NURTURING:
Narcissistic personality disorder is a challenging clinical syndrome; it has a variable presentation, is difficult to treat, and complicates the treatment of commonly co-occurring disorders. They may be referred to mental health services because of comorbid mental conditions, such as a depressive disorder, or suicidality.
It is a multifaceted condition that affects how individuals perceive themselves and interact with others. They frequently present in crisis, describing difficulties & complaints with family, friends and employees. Their constant need for admiration and sense of superiority makes it very difficult for them to ask for help and to continue the therapy.
With appropriate support and therapeutic interventions, individuals with NPD can work towards healthier relationships and improved self-awareness. Seeking help from a mental health professional is an essential step towards healing and personal development.
REFERENCES:
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4. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Kenneth N. Levy, Lia K. Rosenstein. Book Editor(s): Bernardo J. Carducci, Christopher S. Nave, Jeffrey S. Mio, Ronald E. Riggio. First published: 18 September 2020
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Written by:
Dr.Saba Munir, MBBS
On November 21, 2024
