What is Narcissism?
Not every narcissist has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, but they can still cause a lot of destruction in relationships
The word “narcissism” comes from Greek mythology where a handsome young man named Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water.
Narcissism is a trait, but it is also part of a personality disorder called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).
Not every narcissist has NPD.
Narcissism is on a spectrum and the people on the higher end of the spectrum are the ones with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
This means there are a lot of narcissists out there in our world but all on different levels of the spectrum.
You may know someone like this at work, in your family, circle of friends, in government, in a local sports club, or church.
Many of the people with NPD go undiagnosed as they rarely seek professional help because they don't see themselves as having a problem.
What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)?
The MSD Manual defines NPD as follows:
"Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for adulation, and lack of empathy. Diagnosis is by clinical criteria. Treatment is with psychodynamic psychotherapy."
The DSM-IV-R1 provides the following diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
They must present with five (or more) of the following...
Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Believes that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
Requires excessive admiration
Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Two Types of Narcissism
Grandiose Narcissism: these types are generally aggressive, dominant, and exaggerate their own importance. They appear self-confident, have little awareness of their brokenness, and are insensitive to others. They were treated as entitled by their parents in childhood.
Vulnerable Narcissism: this type mostly had a neglectful or abusive childhood. They are much more sensitive than grandiose narcissists. They have deep feelings of inadequacy and compensate by belittling others and acting superior. Yet they go between feeling inferior and superior.
What causes Narcissism?
NPD is a rare disorder found in only about 6% of people.
It affects more males than females and often begins in early adulthood.
The cause of NPD is unknown, but most researchers believe it is due to poor parenting usually neglect or over-protecting of a child.
Treatment
If treated, some narcissists can get better, but rarely do they become empathic. Instead, they can learn to modify their behaviors to make life easier for those around them. They can also learn to develop more genuine self-love which may lessen their need to compare themselves to others and compete.
Why are people talking about narcissism so much?
The reason is that narcissists are functioning in all areas of society and when given positions of power they can be dangerous.
With a toxic mix of low self-worth, grandiosity, a lack of empathy, and a deep sense of entitlement they are causing hurt and suffering to millions of people worldwide.
Most of these people will not go to a psychiatrist so go undiagnosed. Many hold positions of power in government, business, health care, education, religious organizations, and families.
Their insatiable need for power and superiority knows no bounds.
We only have to look at the wars worldwide to get a glimpse of how far this can go. Something needs to be done about it and it looks like the first step is to raise awareness.
Some companies have become aware and are more rigorous in their interviewing process.
However, because of the need for power, admiration, and recognition, narcissists are drawn to positions of top management, so if they are already in those positions, it can be hard to get them to leave.
Final thoughts
I hope this article shines some light on the subject of narcissism and motivates you to study it further for yourself.
If you are suffering or have suffered from the effects of narcissistic abuse, it is crucial that you learn more about these personality types and how to deal with them and seek professional help if you are finding it too much to bear.
Narcissists are bullies. Because of their fear of being exposed as inadequate, they will do almost anything to stay on top.
If they perceive that you do not admire them or reject them in any way, they may suffer a narcissistic injury which causes them to get into a rage and seek revenge.
For a deeper study of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, click here.
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Every teen should be trained to identify npd and bpd. Its a no brainer.