Narcissistic Personality Disorder; a summary
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a cluster b personality disorder characterised by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration and attention, hypersensitivity to criticism and a dimished ability to empathise with others.
The DSM-5 describes people with NPD as having at least five of the following nine criteria:
A grandiose sense of self-importance
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Believing that they are "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
Requiring excessive admiration
A sense of entitlement (unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with their expectations)
Being interpersonally exploitative (taking advantage of others to achieve their own ends)
Lacking empathy (unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others)
Often being envious of others or believing that others are envious of them
Showing arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder)
NPD develops either in youth or early adulthood, and the symptoms are pervasive and rigidly persistent over time. While some people may show signs of narcissistic behaviour, this does not guarantee that they qualify for a diagnosis of NPD. It is only if these qualities cause "significant impairment" and are "inflexible, maladaptive and persisting" that a diagnosis of NPD could be considered.
Associated Features:
People with NPD tend to exaggerate their accomplishments and skills for admiration or praise. They have a sense of personal superiority, and this may cause them to look down on others.
Furthermore, people with NPD are more likely than others to respond with anger when presented with rejection or perceived criticism. People with NPD are vulnerable to feelings of shame and worthlessness over minor incidents in daily life, and imagined insults.
Causes of NPD
While there is no proven specific causes for NPD, there are a combination of risk factors from biological, socio-environmental and psychological factors, including genetics, neurobiology, trauma, abuse and parenting styles.
Some key terms
Narcissistic Supply- a type of admiration, interpersonal support or sustenance drawn by an individual with NPD from people around them. Sometimes referred to as an attention supply.
Idealisation and Devaluation- people with cluster b personality disorders often see the world in terms of everything being either strictly good or strictly bad. Idealisation is seeing someone as perfect and wonderful, whereas devaluation is seeing someone as evil and inferior. This is not controllable by the narcissist or person with the cluster b pd, and often comes from 'splitting', which is when someone does something to trigger the person with the pd's fears of either criticism, abandonment or rejection.
Some words on the term 'narc abuse' and why perpetrating this idea is harmful
The term 'narc abuse', or 'narcissistic abuse' is harmful and ableist. You wouldn't call abuse by someone who happened to be autistic, 'autistic abuse'. People with NPD cannot help their diagnosis. While there are people with NPD who can be abusive, this is true of anyone in the population. Lack of empathy does not make someone a bad person. A sense of self-importance and hypersensitivity does not make someone a bad person. Stop demonising people for something they ultimately cannot control.
DO NOT. AND I REPEAT. DO NOT. DIAGNOSE ANYONE BASED ON THIS POST. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT ARMCHAIR DIAGNOSE OTHERS AS HAVING SERIOUS PERSONALITY DISORDERS. IF YOU'RE SERIOUSLY WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE, CONSULT A PSYCHIATRIST.
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Have a great day everyone! xoxo halo
