The Hall mark of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is the sense of grandiosity, in fantasy and behavior, need for admiration, lack of empathy, and intense envy.
Whenever we find someone to be preoccupied with his comfort, do not show any remorse or empathy we label him as a narcissist. But there is more psychopathology than just giving self-importance in narcissism.
The portrait of a narcissist is shown in many movies like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in which the character Anton Chigurh who is devoid of conscience, remorse, and compassion played by Javier Bardem shows traits of a person with a narcissistic personality disorder.
Diagnostic criteria of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
To diagnose the patient with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, the following five diagnostic criteria have to be met:
- Grandiose sense of self-importance and feel that they are special and entitled to be treated as special.
- Preoccupied with unlimited power, brilliance, admiration, beauty, and ideal love
- interpersonal exploitativeness– use and exploit others for self-gain and achieve own needs.
- intensive envy towards others where others are admired or praised in front of them.
- arrogant attitude.
Risk Factors
Individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are vulnerable to criticism. On being criticized, such thoughts haunt them for ever and they start envying the people who criticized them or being praised in front of then.
- Fragile Self-esteem: their self-esteem depends on external admiration and are highly sensitive to criticism.
- Social withdrawal: when criticized or humiliated, they reject it with disdain or counterattack and this often leads to social withdrawal.
- Poor interpersonal relationships due to extreme need for admiration and constant need for attention.
- Mood disorders: Narcissistic Personality Disorder people may experience persistent depressive disorders due to their social withdrawal episodes.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder is also associated with Anorexia nervosa, drug abuse.
Word from PsychHelp
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is chronic and can not be cured permanently. However, it diminishes after the age of 40. There is no current medication or therapy that directly targets Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Only associated symptoms of depression, anxiety are treated with medications and managed by psychotherapy.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder people experience manty interpersonal conflicts including in marriage. Family counselling, marriage counselling at different stages may help the person with disorder to cope and form healthy relationships at home and at professional level.
Learn more about narcissism and how to cope with a narcissist.
