Personality Disorders Plymouth

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

 

What is narcissistic personality disorder?

 

Someone with narcissistic personality disorder believes that they are superior to everyone else, they are important and people should look up to them. However, they can also feel the opposite; worthless. So their self-esteem may either be very high or very low and changes from high to low and low to high.

It occurs in up to 6% of adults, and more often in men than in women.

 

Symptoms

 

Symptoms include:

• looking down on others and jealous of those who they think are ‘above’ them

• lack of empathy

• exploiting others

• over exaggerating their skills and achievements to look impressive

• believing they should be treated better than others

• want approval from others

• over or under-estimate the affect they have on other people

• lack of interest in partner’s life

 

Causes

 

Narcissistic personality is thought to probably be caused by a combination of genetics, environment, social and psychological factors.

• In biological terms some people with this condition have a part of the brain relating to empathy which is smaller than other peoples.

• Some research explores the social factors which make people more vulnerable to develop this condition. Children who experienced excessive admiration and overindulgence or oppositely experienced neglect or emotional abuse from their parent(s) were more likely to develop narcissistic personality disorder.

 

 

 

Outlook

 

Depending on the individual’s history, whether they have been abused or not, whether they have other conditions, will make a difference to their life. If it is accepted that their problems are caused by their self-centred behaviour rather than by other people, some real progress can be made.

 

Treatment

 

Psychotherapy (talking therapy) can be offered to those with this condition. It will focus on how the person with narcissistic personality disorder interacts with the therapist and monitor the changing behaviour from grandiose to vulnerable. Then the therapist can teach the client how to regulate their emotions better and to think and interact with others more positively.

Medication may be used if the person has other conditions such as depression or anxiety.

 

 

Access the Treatments page for more information