NPD
Narcissistic Personality Disorder or NPD, is a mental health condition that impacts about 5% of people in the USA with 50% - 75% of those cases being found in men. NPD primarily affects one’s worldview, rational thinking, and behavior.
Narcissism vs NPD
The word “narcissistic” is used very often, but it should not be mistaken for NPD. While narcissism is a trait, NPD is a consistent behavioral pattern impacting many areas of life and basic functioning. With NPD, one will view themselves as grand, superior, and entitled while viewing others with an extreme lack of compassion. While people with NPD can and do feel empathy, it is extremely diminished as they lack the ability to care. Those with NPD indeed recognize other’s emotions but rather than empathizing with them, only consider how it may affect themselves. People with NPD will often use other’s emotions, fears, and insecurities against them, especially if they are close with the individual, they can manipulate and twist events to make themselves feel better.
Symptoms
While everyone can exhibit narcissistic traits at times, people with NPD will experience them constantly. An unreasonably high sense of their importance, excessive need for admiration, and a constant disregard for others’ emotions are all symptoms of this condition.
Other common symptoms of NPD consist of but are not limited to:
Need for excessive or constant praise
Inability to empathize and constantly dismissing other’s emotions that aren’t their own
A constant sense of entitlement
Preoccupation with power, success, and beauty
Inability to handle criticism
An exploitive and calculated attitude to gain something desired
Often only associating with those deemed to be on a similar social level to them
Mistreating many especially those viewed as lower
Like all potential mental health concerns, NPD must be diagnosed by a medical professional, not by oneself.
Treatment
You may wonder if these people’s behavior can change. While it’s easy to believe they can’t, there is still a chance they can.
As previously stated, NPD can only be diagnosed by a medical professional, the same goes for any treatments that may be administered.
Talk therapy, (open-ended conversations with a therapist), family therapy, and group counseling are all beneficial forms of treatment. It may be difficult for those with NPD to accept the help given to them but it’s the first step in creating a healthy lifestyle.
If you know someone suffering from what sounds like NPD, reach out. You can’t control other people’s behavior, but it is important to help support them.
Ted Ed video on: Narcissism
Sources used:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9742-narcissistic-personality-disorder
*We are not medical professionals, we are simply here to raise awareness*
