Narcissistic personality disorder; what is it? Narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD, is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. Some things that can cause NPD is the way they were raised or genetics/feelings that they grew up with. NPD can cause problems at school/work, in relationships and financial affairs.
People with NPD may have no feeling of empathy, meaning they may make people seem like they care for their own benefit. They may feel no remorse for others, or think they deserve it. They feel entitled, holding rights that others would never assume. They could live in a completely different world within their minds. This could cause them to feel so much power, giving them the mindset that they deserve what they want, when they want, before even asking. This could lead to them objectifying you, raping you, ruling your life, etc. Their sense of entitlement can also cause them to feel disappointed, impatient or angry if they don’t receive the ‘special’ treatment they want.
A person with NPD can be deceptive, meaning that a lie isn’t a lie in their world. They use lying as a mechanism to raise their chance of a good outcome. They can also become emotionally dependent, needing a lot of emotional support. They can’t function without the narcissistic abuse being fulfilled. They might use battering for control. Battering is a form of emotional, verbal, financial, sexual, or physical abuse. They believe that battering ‘levels the playing field’, as well as makes themselves in control of the relationship. They enjoy looking down on others that they believe are inferior.
A person with NPD has “fragile self esteem” and is vulnerable to the smallest amount of criticism. They might have hidden feelings, such as insecurity, shame, vulnerability, humiliation, fear of falling short of perfection, and depression. To keep those feelings hidden, they may be conceited, boastful, or pretentious.
Someone that believes they have NPD must see a doctor to have it properly diagnosed. When doctors are coming up with a diagnosis, they look at signs and symptoms, psychological questions on questionnaires, physical exams to make sure you don’t have a physical problem causing symptoms, and other personality disorders that the person could have. If the doctor figures out that there is more than one diagnosis available, they can diagnose more than one disorder.
There is no specific cure or medication for NPD. In order to at least treat NPD, they must go to Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy that is used to treat several other disorders, and can take several years to complete/get better. Psychotherapy can help NPD patients relate better with others so their relationships are more intimate, enjoyable and rewarding. It can also help to understand the cause of emotions, accept responsibility, what drives them to compete, distrust and to despise themselves and others.
Psychotherapy helps the patients learn to accept and maintain real personal relationships and collaboration with co-workers. Along with relationship help, they also help patients to recognize and accept their actual competence and potential so they can tolerate criticisms or failures. It can also help them increase their ability to understand and comprehend feelings, as well as to understand and tolerate the impact of issues related to their self-esteem. The final thing it can help with is gaining an acceptance of what’s attainable and what they can accomplish. Otherwise, the only medication that could possibly help is anti-depressants if the patient is experiencing depression symptoms.
If a person has NPD, they may become defensive about treatment. They may think, “It’s not worth my time and attention”. If they are somehow convinced into going to psychotherapy, remind them to keep an open mind, stick to the treatment plan (talk therapy), get other recommended treatment, learn relaxation and stress management and to stay focused on the end goal. Before going to treatment, you should also make a list of 1) how many symptoms you are experiencing and for how long, 2) key personal information, 3) medical information, 4) medication they might be taking and 5) questions to ask your mental health provider.
If the person decides to not go/continue with treatment, it could cause more relationship problems, problems at work or school, depression, drug or alcohol abuse and/or suicidal thoughts or actions. Some teens and children may experience symptoms, but that is normal around those ages.
In order to prevent NPD, getting treatment for symptoms as soon as possible and going to family therapy sessions to communicate healthy as well as to cope with conflicts or emotional distress. Some possible causes of NPD could be mismatches in parent-child relationships with excessive pampering or criticism, or even just genetics or psychobiology, which is the connection between brain and thinking.
What is NPD most common in? Males or females?
What are some other symptoms?
What is another disorder that uses psychotherapy?