It’s All About ME, ME, ME! Narcissistic Personality Disorder
We all know people with Narcissistic tendencies. The ‘all about me’ person who can only talk about himself, his self-importance, his uniqueness, his me, me, me!
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a true mental diagnosis for people who need admiration, lack empathy and have a grandiose sense of their self-importance.
It is called a pervasive pattern of grandiosity in fantasy and behavior, and usually begins by early adulthood and it presents itself in a variety of symptoms. To achieve this diagnosis, a person presents five or more of the following:
(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
(3) 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
(4) requires excessive admiration
(5) has a sense of entitlement–unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
(6) is interpersonally exploitative–takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Most Narcissistics are men (75%) and it has been demonstrated not to be found in any particular ethnic, social, cultural, economic or professional group and does not seem to be genetic.
Narcissism is a less severe form of psychopathy. NPC can manifest aggressive, paranoid and borderline characteristics, but it most commonly appears in the form of envy, greed, power lust, an extensively rationalized sense of entitlement, and a pathological grandiose self. Narcissists can experience loyalty and guilt; but unlike psychopaths, narcissists lack empathy or caring for others, and view people as ‘playthings’ to be used.
In females, they tend to ‘sleep’ their way to the top. Male Narcissists tend to get ahead by getting involved in massive power struggles.
It is thought that narcissism could be the result of severe mental or physical pain in childhood at the hands of a powerful, idealized mother-father figure. Also inconsistent parental attitudes on aggression and self-assertion and other childhood experiences of being valued for specific, precocious talents seem to be the prime determinants. The child never learned who to identify with–the aggressor or the victim. They developed a pragmatic philosophy of siding with winners regardless of who was in the right or wrong. They feel they have the right to control, manipulate, exploit, and be cruel to others.
Narcissism was not fully defined until the late 1980’s. It is estimated that between 5-7% of the population is affected with this disorder. Narcissists frequently have uncontrollable behaviors such as rage, and anger.
Many times, other associated disorders accompany narcissism. Narcissists can rarely be cured, but other side effects and associated disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), pathological lying, eating disorders, mood disorders and substance-related disorders and paranoiac dimensions can be modified.
Pathological narcissism is a defense mechanism intended to deflect hurt and trauma from the victim’s “True Self” into a “False Self” which is omnipotent, invulnerable, and omniscient.
Pathological narcissism is a defense mechanism intended to deflect hurt and trauma from the victim’s ‘true Self’ into a ‘false Self’ which is omnipotent, invulnerable, and omniscient. Patients with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) feel injured, empty and humiliated when criticized. They often react with rage and defiance to any slight, real or imagined. To avoid these situations, some patients with NPD socially withdraw and feign false modesty and humility to mask their underlying grandiosity.
Interpersonal relations are typically impaired due to the lack of empathy, disregard for others, exploitativeness, sense of entitlement and constant need for attention.
