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Narcissistic personality disorder — one of several types of personality disorders — is a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial affairs. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they're not given the special favors or admiration they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships unfulfilling, and others may not enjoy being around them.

Treatment for narcissistic personality disorder centers around talk therapy (psychotherapy).

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Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder and the severity of symptoms vary. People with the disorder can:

Have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Have a sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
Exaggerate achievements and talents
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate
Believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people
Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior
Expect special favors and unquestioning compliance with their expectations
Take advantage of others to get what they want
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
Be envious of others and believe others envy them
Behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious
Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office
At the same time, people with narcissistic personality disorder have trouble handling anything they perceive as criticism, and they can:

Become impatient or angry when they don't receive special treatment
Have significant interpersonal problems and easily feel slighted
React with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make themselves appear superior
Have difficulty regulating emotions and behavior
Experience major problems dealing with stress and adapting to change
Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection
Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation
When to see a doctor
People with narcissistic personality disorder may not want to think that anything could be wrong, so they may be unlikely to seek treatment. If they do seek treatment, it's more likely to be for symptoms of depression, drug or alcohol use, or another mental health problem. But perceived insults to self-esteem may make it difficult to accept and follow through with treatment.

If you recognize aspects of your personality that are common to narcissistic personality disorder or you're feeling overwhelmed by sadness, consider reaching out to a trusted doctor or mental health provider. Getting the right treatment can help make your life more rewarding and enjoyable.

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Causes
It's not known what causes narcissistic personality disorder. As with personality development and with other mental health disorders, the cause of narcissistic personality disorder is likely complex. Narcissistic personality disorder may be linked to:

Environment ― mismatches in parent-child relationships with either excessive adoration or excessive criticism that is poorly attuned to the child's experience
Genetics ― inherited characteristics
Neurobiology — the connection between the brain and behavior and thinking
Risk factors
Narcissistic personality disorder affects more males than females, and it often begins in the teens or early adulthood. Keep in mind that, although some children may show traits of narcissism, this may simply be typical of their age and doesn't mean they'll go on to develop narcissistic personality disorder.

Although the cause of narcissistic personality disorder isn't known, some researchers think that in biologically vulnerable children, parenting styles that are overprotective or neglectful may have an impact. Genetics and neurobiology also may play a role in development of narcissistic personality disorder.

Complications
Complications of narcissistic personality disorder, and other conditions that can occur along with it, can include:

Relationship difficulties
Problems at work or school
Depression and anxiety
Physical health problems
Drug or alcohol misuse
Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Prevention
Because the cause of narcissistic personality disorder is unknown, there's no known way to prevent the condition. However, it may help to:

Get treatment as soon as possible for childhood mental health problems
Participate in family therapy to learn healthy ways to communicate or to cope with conflicts or emotional distress
Attend parenting classes and seek guidance from therapists or social workers if needed

By Mayo Clinic Staff
narcissistic
/ˌnɑːsɪˈsɪstɪk/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
having or showing an excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.
"a narcissistic actress"
synonyms: vain, in love with oneself, self-loving, self-admiring, wrapped up in oneself, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, conceited, self-centred, self-regarding, egotistic, egotistical, egoistic, egocentric, egomaniac
relating to narcissism.
"narcissistic personality disorder"

rathswohl 5 Sep 12
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3 comments

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1

Very bad. I hope don't have it... although I keep thinking of myself highly.

ha ha

You/ we can have ‘traits,’ but they can be altered and dealt with, a good thing 🙂

0

it's America!

You are so correct and as an Ausi currently describing my sister this post has really uplifted my day. I posted a long fart about my other sister and me being cheated out of our inheritance by one and I posted for the enjoyment as my diagnosis was not properly understood by the special sibling.

@rathswohl peace.

0

I was very impressed to find my high schoolers were being taught about the various personality disorders.. In that respect, things are changing for the better. Assessing themselves in college has also aided in their abilities to achieve.

Not the case for my generation 😕 We’ve had to learn the hard way, and for me, that included a year each of college level Psychology & Sociology … yet still I’ve fallen victim to various PD (personality disordered) people..

So, you’ve just described the base level behavior, thought pattern and limitations of our current US President… Long before his election ..clinitions in the mental health field had warned us of trump’s Narcissism. In fact, many had begun using his behavior as ‘the definition’ of such.. But due to an idiodic legal limitation regarding their ‘ability to diagnose’ from afar, few if any would straight-up describe this to the US public.

Problem is, Narcissists don’t seek treatment - they’re perfect as is 😉 So due to this PC code of not diagnosing the obvious, the world has trump

One of the cluster B disorders, it’s also incurable, and as mentioned, treatment is rarely sought by the disordered.. What I’ve found both sickening and amazing is, with a familiarity of the disorder … how many horrendous ‘leaders’ of the past appear to have had it, including mr hitler..

Though an obvious copy & paste post, the world definitely needs to spot these sick freaks before handing them power of any sort ~

Varn Level 8 Sep 12, 2019

I have posted the description knowing that my sister will see it. It relates to my previous post about "I am the son of a German mother and Austrian ....." its a fraud thing. Thank You for your reply.

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