Narcissistic personality disorder
The content of the article:
- Causes
- Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
- Diagnostics
-
Treatment
- Psychotherapy
- Drug therapy
- Possible complications and consequences
- Forecast
- Prevention
- Video
Narcissistic personality disorder (NDD, narcissistic personality disorder syndrome, narcissism) is characterized primarily by a model of self-assertive behavior regardless of the circumstances. A person with this disorder constantly requires universal admiration and recognition, at the same time, he himself has no empathy and sympathy for other people.
Narcissistic personality disorder is expressed by extremely self-confident behavior, self-recognition as better than others
The name of the disease comes from the name of the mythological Narcissus, a young man who, according to ancient Greek legend, bending over the water, saw his reflection in it and fell in love with him so much that he could not tear himself away from the contemplation of his own beauty, and so he died during this occupation, after which the gods turned him into a beautiful flower.
Causes
One of the theories about the origin of narcissistic personality disorder suggests that this pathology can develop in people due to the overly good attitude of others around them in childhood. Under the influence of immoderate, blind parental love, such children are asserted in their superiority over others, consider themselves endowed with special, exclusive dignities. This theory is supported by the fact that the only children in the family, or those whom their parents consider exceptional and whose abilities are overestimated, score high on tests for narcissism.
However, most experts disagree with this version. They believe that narcissistic personality disorder is not a consequence of childhood self-perception as the center of the world, this view is wrong. In fact, the narcissistic state of the psyche is a compensation for early and very significant disappointments in relationships with people, repeated narcissistic trauma. Early experiences with others in such people are often unsuccessful, characterized by feelings of shame or fear of experiencing shame. It is important that in this case, shame is not associated with a feeling of guilt, with the fact that a person did something wrong, it consists in the feeling that others perceive him as bad. Thus, self-perception and self-esteem for people with ADD depends on those around them and their attitudes.
Narcissistic disorder affects people raised by "narcissists"
The main reason that the focus of perception in such people is shifted from themselves to those around them is their use by other narcissistic personalities as their function. Typically, ADL affects children who grow up with parents or other loved ones with the same disorder. Narcissistic parents do not consider their children as a person, but only as a function, their appendage, they value the child only for the role he plays for them and only approve of his behavior that corresponds to their task of raising themselves. As a result of such an attitude on the part of a significant loved one, the child develops a so-called false self - the perception of himself as the other person sees him.
Not all children who have experienced narcissistic trauma become “narcissists”; many develop an adequate perception of themselves and those around them, which allows them to build normal, harmonious relationships with people.
Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
To one degree or another, manifestations of narcissism are inherent in many people, and occasionally some narcissistic traits appear in the vast majority, but not all of them are pathological "narcissists", that is, they have a personality disorder.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, Narcissistic Personality Disorder Syndrome can be talked about if a person has at least 5 of 9 of the following symptoms:
- An exaggerated sense of self-worth.
- Fantasies of unlimited success, power, ideal, beauty, etc.
- Conviction in one's own peculiarity and uniqueness, superiority over others.
- The need for constant attention and admiration of others.
- Exaggerated self-esteem.
- Exploitative behavior (using other people to achieve their own goals).
- Lack of empathy and empathy.
- Envy of others and / or the belief that everyone is jealous of him.
- Demonstration of an arrogant attitude towards others, a look down on them.
It is important to note that the listed signs of narcissistic disorder are such only when they meet the following criteria:
| Criterion | Decoding |
| Stability | The symptom has been present for a long time |
| Totality | The sign is present always and everywhere, and does not appear from time to time |
| Lead to social maladjustment | In most cases, social maladjustment is observed not in the patient himself, but in his relatives |
“Narcissists” are unable to build harmonious relationships in the family, since they need both a partner and children only to reflect themselves, that is, they perform the function of a mirror. The problems and worries of others are alien to them. They are arrogant in relation to people who are dependent on them and those who are below them in the social hierarchy, and at the same time, they can be servile in relation to their superiors, while experiencing, however, constant envy of the latter. Experts generally call envy the most powerful emotion experienced by such patients.
Envy is the main emotion of the narcissistic personality
Interestingly, it is difficult for people with ADL to adequately express their needs, it is difficult for them to ask someone, because, in their opinion, this puts them below another person, in a dependent position, which is completely intolerable for them, who are distinguished by arrogance. As a result, the environment is required to guess the needs of the “narcissist”.
Narcissistic people tend to have suicidal tendencies, especially under the influence of sudden severe stress such as financial loss or being fired from work. They are also prone to substance abuse, especially alcohol and cocaine.
By nature, ADL is characterized by arrogance towards other people, so people with narcissism do not recognize the need for treatment. They go to the doctor only after a hard blow to their career or personal life.
Diagnostics
To identify the disorder, questionnaires have been developed - tests for assessing narcissism. They contain a list of questions, the answers to which are evaluated in a certain number of points. The sum of the points shows the degree of propensity for NRL.
It should be noted that specialists, making a diagnosis, do not rely only on the testing method and test results, the mental state of patients is investigated and assessed according to other criteria. Personality disorders do not manifest themselves in the form of separate episodes, they are characterized by long-term, chronic disturbances of behavior, therefore, during the diagnosis, the duration of the symptomatology and its exact nature are determined.
For example, when studying the mental state of patients with ADD, depressed mood or signs of a depressive disorder are found. Overestimated self-esteem, up to megalomania, or, on the contrary, extremely low, can be revealed.
The narcissist sees the cause of his problems in others
Differential diagnosis is performed, which examines the criteria that distinguish narcissistic disorder from other personality disorders with similar symptoms. For example, antisocial disorder is characterized by a high level of aggression, which manifests itself even in childhood and the lack of need for recognition of society (self-sufficiency), hysterical disorders are characterized by greater emotionality and demonstrative attraction of attention, and borderline disorder is manifested by signs of masochism.
Treatment
The patient seeks medical help not because he has a personality disorder, he is not aware of it, but because of problems at work, in personal relationships, depression. Treatment for NRL includes psychotherapy and, if necessary, drug therapy.
In most cases, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, that is, the patient visits a doctor on a specific schedule, and the rest of the time he lives a normal life. There may be a need for hospitalization due to the fact that the patient becomes unsafe in relation to others (rarely) or himself.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is the backbone of outpatient treatment. One of the main tasks of psychotherapy is to develop awareness and honesty of the patient in relation to his behavior, especially relations with others. The problem is that the "narcissist" lacks a critical perception of himself, he is convinced that his problems are caused by callousness and inattention of the people around him.
The next task is to establish cooperation with the patient, and it is very difficult, because people with narcissism consider themselves superior to others and do not know how to build equal relationships. Facing unpleasant moments during therapy, they question the qualifications and authority of the specialist.
Psychotherapy is the main treatment for NRL
Further work of the psychotherapist is aimed at developing responsibility for their behavior, eliminating destructive emotions and distortions of perception, forming a new outlook on oneself and others. This should be expressed in greater politeness in relations with people, accepting them as equals, recognizing their needs as no less important than their own. Training in teamwork, training in mood control is provided. The final challenge is to develop empathy.
It is important to keep the patient motivated throughout the therapy. The motivator can be the desire to build a career, improve relationships with a partner and / or children, get rid of depression or other mood disorders.
Drug therapy
Psychotropic drugs are prescribed to treat coexisting anxiety, depression, excessive impulsivity, or other mood disorders.
Possible complications and consequences
The main complication of NRL is the inability to build normal relationships with others, be it work colleagues, neighbors or family members. This becomes the main source of the narcissist's problems. Overestimation of one's abilities and underestimation of the merits of other people often results in failures in work, problems with a career.
The most severe consequence of narcissistic personality disorder can be considered a high probability of passing it on to your children.
Forecast
Treatment for narcissistic personality disorder can be lengthy and may take years, and yet it is not always effective enough, due to the nature of the disorder, which causes significant difficulties both in obtaining medical care for the patient and in the inability (unwillingness) to recognize the true source of their problems.
If left untreated, narcissistic personality disorder will negatively affect the patient and his environment throughout his life.
Prevention
Seeking help from a specialist, a course of psychotherapy for a person with ADL is the primary preventive measure in relation to the children he is raising.
Caring for the child, accepting him as a person, satisfying his emotional needs helps to avoid the formation of narcissistic and other personality disorders in him.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
