Person With Narcissistic Personality Disorder

It only takes 1 to change the world!

A person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance, don’t realize they have this disorder. Consequently, they need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.

A person with narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. Therefore, people with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they’re not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. For the most part, they may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.

Causes of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Scientists believe that the full onset of a person with a person with narcissistic personality disorder may occur when interpersonal development is compromised, for example:

Firstly, being born with an oversensitive temperament

Learning manipulative behavior from parents or peers

Being excessively praised for good behaviors and excessively criticized for bad behaviors

Fourthly, suffering from severe childhood abuse or neglect

Inconsistent or unpredictable parental caregiving

Growing up with unrealistic expectations from parents

Additionally, being excessively pampered or overindulged by parents, peers, or family members

Being excessively admired with no realistic feedback to ground you with reality

Finally, receiving excessive praise from parents or others focused on your looks or abilities

Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

I addition, symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder and how severe they are can vary. People with the disorder can:

Firstly, have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration.
Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment.
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements.
Fourthly, make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are.
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.
Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people.
Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important.
Additionally, Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them.
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 way, brag a lot and come across as conceited.
Finally, 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 view as criticism. They can:

Firstly, become impatient or angry when they don’t receive special recognition or treatment.
Have major problems interacting with others and easily feel slighted.
React with rage or contempt and try to belittle other people to make themselves appear superior.
Fourthly, have difficulty managing their emotions and behavior.
Experience major problems dealing with stress and adapting to change.
Withdraw from or avoid situations in which they might fail.
Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection.
Finally, have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, humiliation and fear of being exposed as a failure.

If You Are Dealing With A Person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Try The Following Tips:

DO NOT REACT
Narcissists depend on your emotional reactions. Hence, it can be easy to react in a way that showcases your shock, anger, or hurt, but this will only energize the narcissist. Instead, try to focus on the situation at hand, and try not to leave space for projection. By continuously steering the conversation back to the issue at hand, you take away the opportunity from the narcissist to dominate the conversation.
TRY TO AVOID DIRECT CONFRONTATION
As stated previously, A person with narcissistic personality disorder are sensitive to any kind of criticism. Calling out the narcissist is hardly ever helpful. I brief, this can even be a trigger for their anger. In the case that you do need to give negative feedback, try to frame it, in the same way, you would a compliment.
REITERATE YOUR NEED FOR ACTION OVER PROMISES
Narcissists can be great at making fictional plans for the future, and never following through on their promises. In a word, if you want to hold a narcissist accountable, you need to challenge the deception. It is important to not fulfill any of their requests unless they reciprocate the energy.
MAINTAIN BOUNDARIES
A person with narcissistic personality disorder may easily cross boundaries. While they can break others’ boundaries, they prioritize their own. It is important to set and strongly maintain your boundary with this individual. You may want to easily outline what you will and will not accept in your relationship with this individual. While it may be difficult at times, you should always stand up for yourself.
REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME
If anything does not go their way, a narcissist may point the finger at you. In addition to your boundaries, you may want to limit the responsibility that you hold in their life. When the blame is put on you, do not accept it.
DON’T ACCEPT THEIR BEHAVIOR
A person with narcissistic personality disorder are typically aware when they hurt others’ feelings. Nontheless, their behavior is normal to them, but that is not the same case for other people. You may feel the need to gently point out their undesired behaviors. Consequently, narcissists do not like to be viewed in a negative light, so this allows them to adjust their behavior.

Treatments For A person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Sometimes, it takes facing a serious ultimatum, failure, or loss for someone with this personality type to get help. Also, it’s not uncommon for them to seek treatment for another mental health problem altogether, like depression. Meeting with a therapist, you’ll learn how to better relate to others, which can encourage more functional and improved interpersonal relationships. As well as, they will gain a better understanding of your own emotions and why you feel the way you do.

Along the way, your therapist might work with you on:

Firstly, accepting and maintaining relationships with co-workers and family

Tolerating criticisms and failures

Understanding and regulating your feelings

Finally, minimizing your desire to attain unrealistic goals and ideal conditions

While in treatment, those with this personality type tend to be mistrusting and reluctant, exhibit negative reactions, and often drop out early. Since the work deals primarily with personality traits, which are pretty steady over time, it could take many years of psychotherapy before a breakthrough happens.

Conclusion

Living with NPD can be challenging for the individual with the disorder, as well as their family members and the people around them. In any case, if you have the disorder, you may frequently experience emotional dysregulation (trouble keeping calm). Subsequently, this happens particularly when other people threaten or contradict your thoughts and ideas about yourself. You may have difficulty maintaining personal and professional relationships as a result.

However, if you are living with someone who has NPD, you may find yourself feeling confused and frustrated much of the time. Given that, you will probably have to deal with their changing moods and behavior, their need to intimidate and exert control, a sense of entitlement, and gaslighting.

People with NPD lack empathy and may completely disregard your needs, concerns, and feelings. Given these points, once the love bombing phase is over, your relationship with them can leave you walking on eggshells around them, feeling constantly anxious, and always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Living with someone who has NPD can take a serious toll on your mental health and well-being. Therefore, it can damage your self-esteem. You may quickly begin to feel worthless and question your perception and sanity. Don’t give up…on the the person with the narcissistic personality disorder…or yourself. Until next time…