Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a cluster B personality disorder defined as comprising a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

A narcissist is described as a person that uses other people as supply to feed their ego.

They have no ability to love and might be a covert narcissist (hidden from public) and even the well educated can be tricked and abused by them never knowing they are with a narcissist until the end.

In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), NPD begins by early adulthood and is indicated by the presence of at least 5 of the following 9 criteria:

An exaggerated sense of self-importance.
A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
A need for excessive admiration.
A sense of entitlement.
Interpersonally exploitive behaviour.
A lack of empathy.
Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her.
A demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviours or attitudes.
A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions.

Other traits can include:

Put their own needs before others and tend to not only step on people that get in their way but actually go out of their way to crush/ruin/hurt them.
Plays the victim.
Seek constant supply to have any sense of who they are.
They live off of other people's energy as fuel for life.
Pathological liars.
Arrested emotional development.
They see you as an object.
They exploit rather than protect.
Can move on without skipping a beat or grieving because a real connection with another person didn't exit in the first place.
Actors in different roles.
Addicted use of instant gratification - spending, alcohol, sex, food, entertainment, or any other of their choice.
Never satisfied.
Someone who perceives everything as threatening and criticism.
Constantly criticize you but extremely vulnerable to slightest perceived criticism that doesn’t exist.
Behaviors or thought processes that rely to a dysfunctional degree on emotional excess or drama.
Very problematic behaviours in relationship - difficult, extremely controlling, cannot reason with them, lying, manipulation, infidelity, no loyalty, emotional and physical abusive, volatile, poor interpersonal boundaries.
Repetitive circular comments and conversations that go nowhere.
Come across very rude and completely indifferent.
Don’t understand things that others can blatantly see.
A rage comes on like a tsunami and is completely disproportionate to what’s going on.
Project onto others qualities, traits, and behaviours they can’t—or won’t—accept in themselves.
Great difficulty trusting others.
Lack of conscience or compassion.
Low self-esteem.
Usually don’t seek help because they do not want to change or believe anything is wrong.

Types of Narcissists

Somatic Narcissists: Fixated on their body and appearance. They are often seductive and are pathological cheaters. To them, sex is a weapon.

Cerebral Narcissist: Take great pride in their intellect and are incredibly convincing. They are master manipulators.

Covert Narcissist: These Narcissists do not fit the mold of your standard Narcissist. In fact, they often come across like the exact opposite. They tend to be charming, likeable, and humble. Making it very difficult to recognize, as they are often very convincing.

Overt Narcissist: Tend to fit the mold of what a narcissist presents like. These individuals are larger-than-life, arrogant, often loud and boisterous, love to be the centre of attention, and often come across as obnoxious to most people.

Classic Narcissist: A person whose set of behaviours are characterized by a pattern of grandiosity, self-centred focus, need for admiration, self-serving attitude, and a lack of empathy or consideration for others.

Delusional Narcissist: Very grandiose in their beliefs and are often full of stories that are so over-the-top that rarely do other people believe them.

Malignant Narcissist: An (unofficial) term that describes the type of Narcissism that is in the middle of the (unofficial) Narcissism spectrum.

Cluster B: Refers to a grouping of personality traits in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness (DSM). These traits are broadly described as dramatic, erratic, and emotional. Within the Cluster B are four of the ten recognized personality disorders: Borderline, Narcissistic, Histrionic, and Antisocial.