NARCISSISM

WHAT IS IT?

• Narcissism gets its name from the greek myth of Narcissus, which is a story about a beautiful nymph who caught a glimpse of his reflection in a pool of water and fell in love.Narcissists lack basic social skills needed to get along with others such as humility, kindness,cooperation and genuineness and are instead arrogant, callous, manipulative and attention seeking
• About 1% of the population has it 50-75% of which are male, although diagnosis is rare due to true narcissists being in denial about having it.

Untitled Slide

PERSONALITY OF A NARCISSIST

• Narcissists project an ideal image of themselves in order to hide from others and themselves how they really feel on the inside. Deep down many have extremely fragile self-esteem & are vulnerable to even the smallest criticism.
• Narcissists are unable to recognize or identify with the feelings of others.Their general lack of empathy makes them unable to realize the effect they have on others or maintain a relationship of any kind

PERSONALITY OF A NARCISSIST CONT.

• They are preoccupied with fantasies of success, beauty, & intelligence.They believe they are superior & only want to associate with people they feel are high class, they act very entitled and believe they deserve better than others.
• They lash out at even the smallest criticism, they often belittle anyone who criticizes them because of their fragile ego. Having a relationship with someone with npd is impossible.
• They believe others envy them and are usually very envious of others.

NARCISSISTIC RELATIONSHIPS

• Parental narcissism is when parents see their children not as individuals but as an extension of them, they believe their child exists solely to fulfill their wishes for success and fame. An example of this would be "stage moms".They demand certain behavior & are possessively close to their children.They end up being envious of their child's independence, leading to resentment as they grow older.
• Npds tend to view their SO as possessions instead of people&are very manipulative in relationships. They will break up as soon as their needs are no longer being fulfilled.

COLLEGE STUDENTS NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (NPI)1982-2006 12-15AVG 20 CELEB.

DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS

• Must meet atleast 5 critiera; Impairments in self functioning which includes, identity-looking to others for self esteem regulation and self definition, exaggerated self-appraisal, and their emotional regulation mirrors fluctuations in their self-esteem. Self-direction:goal setting is based on approval from others, personal standards are unreasonably high and they do not know their own motivations much of the time.

DSM-5 CONT.

• Impairments interpersonal functioning; empathy-largely unable to see their effect on others, attuned to the reactions of others but only perceived if it's relevant to themselves. Intimacy-relationships are largely superficial and exists only to serve as self esteem regulation, they have little genuine interest in others.

DSM-5 CONTINUED

• Antagonism characterized by grandiosity (feelings of entitlement, self-centered ness, condescending towards others)
• Attention seeking-excessive attempts to gain attention and admiration.

DSM-5 OTHER SYMPTOMS

• Expect to be recognized as special or superior
• Expect constant admiration and attention
• Lacks the ability to empathize with the feelings or desires of others
• Is arrogant in attitude and behavior
• Has unrealistic expectations of special treatment
• Take advantage of others
• Easily hurt or rejected, appear unemotional
• Traits can be similar to people with high self-esteem or confidence

What causes Narcissism?

• As with most mental health disorders, Narcissism does not have one definitive cause, there are many factors which can lead to narcissism including genetics and upbringing. Some theorize that unrealistic admiration, praise, harsh punishments and neglect or excessive critisism during childhood can lead to NPD. Failure to adequately discipline children and not setting reasonable limits can also lead to narcissism in adulthood.

PREVENTION

• Since there is no known definitive cause, NPD is hard to prevent. Parents of children who notice odd personality traits should try therapy as soon as possible if they are concerned. Although children often display traits of NPD they tend to go away with age.

AVAILABLE TREATMENT

• Those who do seek treatment for NPD may find psychotherapy and group meetings very helpful. There are no medications made specifically for NPD but medications may be prescribed for related issues like anxiety and depression.

THERAPY

• You will learn to have healthy relationships and better relate to others, accept your actual competence and tolerate failure,understand issues related to your self-esteem and release your desire for unattainable goals. You will also increase your ability to understand and regulate your emotions.