NPD causes bipolar behavior too
Mark
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people
have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for
admiration. They believe that they're superior to others and have
little regard for other people's feelings. But behind this mask of
ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the
slightest criticism.
Narcissistic personality disorder is one of several types of
personality disorders. Personality disorders are conditions in which
people have traits that cause them to feel and behave in socially
distressing ways, limiting their ability to function in relationships
and in other areas of their life, such as work or school. In
particular, narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by
dramatic, emotional behavior, in the same category as histrionic,
antisocial and borderline personality disorders. Narcissistic
personality disorder treatment is centered around psychotherapy.
Symptoms
Narcissistic personality disorder symptoms may include:
Believing that you're better than others
Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
Exaggerating your achievements or talents
Expecting constant praise and admiration
Believing that you're special
Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
Taking advantage of others
Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
Being jealous of others
Believing that others are jealous of you
Trouble keeping healthy relationships
Setting unrealistic goals
Being easily hurt and rejected
Having a fragile self-esteem
Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional
Although some features of narcissistic personality disorder may seem
like having confidence or strong self-esteem, it's not the same.
Narcissistic personality disorder crosses the border of healthy
confidence and self-esteem into thinking so highly of yourself that
you put yourself on a pedestal. In contrast, people who have healthy
confidence and self-esteem don't value themselves more than they value
others.
When you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may come across
as conceited, boastful or pretentious. You often monopolize
conversations. You may belittle or look down on people you perceive as
inferior. You may have a sense of entitlement. And when you don't
receive the special treatment to which you feel entitled, you may
become very impatient or angry. You may also seek out others you think
have the same special talents, power and qualities — people you see as
equals. You may insist on having "the best" of everything — the best
car, athletic club, medical care or social circles, for instance.
But underneath all this grandiosity often lies a very fragile self-
esteem. You have trouble handling anything that may be perceived as
criticism. You may have a sense of secret shame and humiliation. And
in order to make yourself feel better, you may react with rage or
contempt and efforts to belittle the other person to make yourself
appear better.
Causes
It's not known what causes narcissistic personality disorder. As with
other mental disorders, the cause is likely complex. Some evidence
links the cause to a dysfunctional childhood, such as excessive
pampering, extremely high expectations, abuse or neglect. Other
evidence points to genetics or psychobiology — the connection between
the brain and behavior and thinking.
Risk factors
Narcissistic personality disorder is thought to be uncommon, affecting
less than 1 percent of people in the United States. It affects more
men than women. Narcissistic personality disorder often begins in
early adulthood. Although some adolescents may seem to have traits of
narcissism, this may simply be typical of the age and doesn't mean
they'll go on to develop narcissistic personality disorder.
Although the cause of narcissistic personality disorder isn't known,
researchers continue to learn more about the factors that may increase
the risk of developing the condition. These risk factors may include:
An oversensitive temperament as a young child
Overindulgence and overvaluation by parents
Excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback
Unpredictable or unreliable caregiving from parents
Severe emotional abuse in childhood
Being praised for perceived exceptional looks or talents by adults
Learning manipulative behaviors from parents
When to seek medical advice
When you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may not want to
think that anything could be wrong — doing so wouldn't fit with your
self-image of power and perfection. But by definition, narcissistic
personality disorder causes problems in many areas of your life, such
as relationships, work, school or your financial affairs. You may be
generally unhappy and confused by a mix of seemingly contradictory
emotions. Others may not enjoy being around you, and you may find your
relationships unfulfilling. If you notice any of these problems in
your life, consider reaching out to a trusted health care provider or
mental health provider. Getting the right treatment can help make your
life more rewarding and enjoyable.
Tests and diagnosis
Narcissistic personality disorder is diagnosed based on signs and
symptoms, as well as a thorough psychological evaluation. Your doctor
or mental health provider will ask you to describe the signs and
symptoms you're experiencing — what they are, when they occur, how
intense they are and how long they last, for example. You also might
discuss how your life is affected or limited by your symptoms. And you
may be asked to fill out psychological evaluations or questionnaires.
Although there's no laboratory test to diagnose narcissistic
personality disorder, you may also have a physical exam to make sure
you don't have a physical problem causing your symptoms.
Some features of narcissistic personality disorder are similar to
those of other personality disorders. Your mental health provider will
take care to make sure you get the proper diagnosis. It's possible to
be diagnosed with more than one personality disorder at the same
time.
To be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, you must meet
criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM). This manual is published by the American
Psychiatric Association and is used by mental health providers to
diagnose mental conditions and by insurance companies to reimburse for
treatment.
Criteria for narcissistic personality disorder to be diagnosed
include:
Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power or beauty
Believing that you are special and can associate only with equally
special people
Requiring constant admiration
Having a sense of entitlement
Taking advantage of others
Inability to recognize needs and feelings of others
Being envious of others
Behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner
Complications
Complications of narcissistic personality disorder, if left untreated,
can include:
Substance abuse
Alcohol abuse
Depression
Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa
Relationship difficulties
Problems at work or school
Treatments and drugs
Narcissistic personality disorder treatment is centered around
psychotherapy. There are no medications specifically used to treat
narcissistic personality disorder. However, if you have symptoms of
depression, anxiety or other conditions, medications such as
antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, may be helpful.
Types of therapy that may be helpful for narcissistic personality
disorder include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy. In general, cognitive behavioral therapy
helps you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and
replace them with healthy, positive ones.
Family therapy. Family therapy typically brings the whole family
together in therapy sessions. You and your family explore conflicts,
communication and problem-solving to help cope with relationship
problems.
Group therapy. Group therapy, in which you meet with a group of people
with similar conditions, may be helpful by teaching you to relate
better with others. This may be a good way to learn about truly
listening to others, learning about their feelings and offering
support.
Because personality traits can be difficult to change, therapy may
take several years. The short-term goal of psychotherapy for
narcissistic personality disorder is to address such issues as
substance abuse, depression, low self-esteem or shame. The long-term
goal is to reshape your personality, at least to some degree, so that
you can change patterns of thinking that distort your self-image and
create a realistic self-image. Psychotherapy can also help you learn
to relate better with others so that your relationships are more
intimate, enjoyable and rewarding. It can help you understand the
causes of your emotions and what drives you to compete, to distrust
others and perhaps to despise yourself and others.
Prevention
There's no known way to prevent narcissistic personality disorder with
any certainty. Getting treatment as soon as possible for childhood
mental health problems may help. Family therapy may help families
learn healthy ways to communicate or to cope with conflicts or
emotional distress. Parents with personality disorders may benefit
from parenting classes and guidance from therapists or social
workers.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Whether you decide to seek treatment on your own or are encouraged by
loved ones or a concerned employer, you may feel defensive about
treatment or think it's unnecessary. The nature of narcissistic
personality disorder can also leave you feeling that therapy or the
therapist is not worth your time and attention, and you may be tempted
to quit. Try to keep an open mind, though, and to focus on the rewards
of treatment.
Also, be sure to:
Stick to your treatment plan. Attend scheduled therapy sessions and
take any medications as directed. Remember that it can be hard work
and that you may have occasional setbacks.
Learn about it. Educate yourself about narcissistic personality
disorder so that you can better understand symptoms, risk factors and
treatments.
Get treatment for substance abuse or other mental health problems.
Your addictions, depression, anxiety and stress can feed off each
other, leading to a cycle of emotional pain and unhealthy behavior.
Learn relaxation and stress management. Try such stress-reduction
techniques as meditation, yoga or tai chi. These can be soothing and
calming.
Stay focused on your goal. Recovery from narcissistic personality
disorder can take time. Keep motivated by keeping your recovery goals
in mind and reminding yourself that you can work to repair damaged
relationships and become happier with your life.
*******
Mark LLC
Erin
> Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people
> have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for
> admiration. They believe that they're superior to others and have
> little regard for other people's feelings. But behind this mask of
> ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the
> slightest criticism.
>
This is a complex issue-- easy to go astray when talking about
personality.
I wonder just how much of this life MO isn't due to a lack of
discipline and
training for young children. Sometimes parents even encourage it to
appraise their own social status, considering it an offense that their
children are not the mirror image of their own inflated egos. But we
all
start as narcissists to some degree -- babies are like that. I think
women
are less likely to remain "emotionally retarded" this way, because
they
tend to have more compassion. Temperament and upbringing play
a role together, and temperament is sex-related.
As for unlearning it, I am very pessimistic about the possibility of
that.
I rather envy people who do what they want, because they have more
freedom. But on the other hand, they do live an alienated existence.
I don't think narcissist personalities are happy and they have trouble
loving others.
mmmousemaid
Mark
The thing about narcissistic personality disordered people,
is that they come in many different degrees from self-indulgent
to psychopaths. My interest here is in highlighting this disorder
to show that it becomes so insidious that it is borderline
schizophrenia! The NPD afflicted individual is able to conceal
and manipulate the relationships in their lives, all the while
perceiving reality thru an "EGO FILTER".
As a result, these individuals upon examination will display
an array of weird behavior out of sync with society, and the
cycling of their codependant self-esteem levels will actually
cause a huge fluctuation in their ENERGY level as it
cooresponds to their self perception.
What you will witness is BIPOLAR behaviour.
******
Mark LLC
Erin
Hmm.... strange and so covert that one would not be able
to expose it, right? BTW, what does LLC mean, beside your
name?
mmmousemaid
Mark
The NPD afflicted individual is able to conceal
> > and manipulate the relationships in their lives, all the while
> > perceiving reality thru an "EGO FILTER".
>
> > As a result, these individuals upon examination will display
> > an array of weird behavior out of sync with society, and the
> > cycling of their codependant self-esteem levels will actually
> > cause a huge fluctuation in their ENERGY level as it
> > cooresponds to their self perception.
>
> > What you will witness is BIPOLAR behaviour.
>
> > ******
> > Mark LLC
>
> Hmm.... strange and so covert that one would not be able
> to expose it, right?
Yes, very non-empathaticly strange and covert,
so much so, that the NPD has managed to fool
themselves too, as they live a dysfunctional cycling
life, all the while seeing themselves as VICTIMS of
most circumstances while in reality they are usually
PREDATORS.
Hard to detect? Not to the trained eye. I can sniff
one out a mile away. The easiest tell, they are always
takers and only give to manipulate further events.
> BTW, what does LLC mean, beside your
> name?
Oh that's just dry humor. In the business world it
means Limited Liability Corporation. On the internet,
it means I'm not responsible for anything I say, LOL!
*******
Mark LLC
> mmmousemaid
Erin
Well then, there must be a spectrum of this behaviour, because
everyone considers the pros and cons of a deal, a transaction,
or a relationship, to some extent. That's not a specific symptom
cluster. This is the problem with psychology Mark-- it's vague.
mmmousemaid
Jason James
"Erin" <mmmou...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:e804b29b-8331-4d6f...@o32g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
Isn't the rule something like this: "the patient is diagnosed by the
dominating features of his personality" or words to that effect.
Jason
Erin
> "Erin" <mmmousem...@gmail.com> wrote in message
Ha! You may as well start analyzing the personality by opening page
1 of the Encyclopedia Britannica and spending the rest of your life
reading it to the end. Even then you would not understand a
personality.
It's like a galaxy.
mmmousemaid
Erin
p.s. But you know Mark, there are certain "actions" or "decisions"
that I have
observed people I know well, making, which can only make sense within
the
context of egoistic priorities. So, you do have a point there. But
it's a difficult
thing to do, and if you make a mistake, it can mess up relationships
and even
people's lives. Certainly, I don't trust a psychotherapist to have
the capacity
to do that -- not because they are uneducated, but because they have
no
*knowledge by acquaintance* as Bertrand Russell would say.
mmmousemaid
Jason James
I think I understand, but it would take a long time to collect every tiny
facet of a client's behaviour. Have you ever been given too much change at
a small store and a department store. Some will correct both checkouts, some
will correct the smaller store as they have a small turnover, while the
larger store is seen as being able to absorb the loss. OTOH people of a
devout religious orientation will be guided by the commandments (Xtian) and
correct both, others will refer to their conscience, while others will take
the extra change based on their finacial need. It does get complicated as
you say.
Jason
Mark
Oh contraire! It's an exact science. Read my latest
post to see the "mechanics" of narcissism. My point
is, its VERY EASY to diagnose someone as BIPOLAR
who has a narcissistic personality disorder, because,
they actually cycle up and down between euphoria and
depression, all the while operating part time in "left field".
Psychology is like any discipline. If you study something
long enough you see things others don't. For instance,
I can tell you the difference between actual art and
kitsch, or whether a snake is poisonous or not. Same
goes for narcissism. It's like spotting if someone is
gay or not. You can usually figure it out pretty quick.
********
Mark LLC
Mark
You don't really have to. If there's a rattle on the end of
their tail, they're a rattlesnake.
>Have you ever been given too much change at
> a small store and a department store.
Yes, being a religious man, my rule is...
If the mistake is smaller than 2 dollars, be the bigger
person and tell them about it. If the mistake is larger
than that, RUN.
******
Mark LLC
Some will correct both checkouts, some
> will correct the smaller store as they have a small turnover, while the
> larger store is seen as being able to absorb the loss. OTOH people of a
> devout religious orientation will be guided by the commandments (Xtian) and
> correct both, others will refer to their conscience, while others will take
> the extra change based on their finacial need. It does get complicated as
> you say.
>
> Jason- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Jason James
"Mark" <blueri...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e49d8892-9faf-4b96...@o35g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
You're contradicting yourself. You said a person's personality is like an
encyclopaedia,..or a Galaxy?
Jason
Mark
> "Mark" <blueriver...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
That wasn't me, that was Erin.
Mark LLC
Erin
I think those are value jugements, and therefore not scientific;
poisonous snake excepted but even here what is one man's
poison is another man's medicine. No, i think psychology
is even lower than sociology. Maybe anthropology is closer
to scientific observation. You have to ask yourself, what are
these therapists trying to do? What is their goal? It's not to
understand human behaviour, but rather to classify it, and
if licensed to help, follow tables and questionnaires for 20 minutes
a session. Personally, I would rather go to a monk or a priest
for confession. If you're not religious, maybe a bartender.
mmmousemaid
Jason James
DOHH!
Jason
samvaknin
http://samvak.tripod.com/narcissismbipolar.html
Misdiagnosing Personality Disorders as Bipolar I Disorder
http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders61.html
For a more detailed view of pathological narcissism and the
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) - click on these links:
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/npdglance.html
http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders12.html
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/personalitydisorders13.html
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/personalitydisorders14.html
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/narcissismglance.html
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/faq1.html
Other Personality Disorders
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/faqpd.html
Pathological Narcissism diagnosed with Other Mental Health Disorders
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/faq82.html
NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) and AsPD (Antisocial
Personality Disorder, Psychopathy, or Sociopathy)
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/personalitydisorders16.html
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/personalitydisorders15.html
Do not rely on the Wikipedia.
The Wikipedia is an "encyclopedia" that anyone and everyone can edit,
even people who know nothing about the topic.
As a result, it contains a lot of misinformation and plain nonsense.
Learn more about the Wikipedia's flawed work here:
Mark
> Do not rely on the Wikipedia.
>
> The Wikipedia is an "encyclopedia" that anyone and everyone can edit,
> even people who know nothing about the topic.
>
> As a result, it contains a lot of misinformation and plain nonsense.
Heh, I know, like on the episode of "30 Rock" where they
went in and put bogus information about the personal life
of Janice Joplin just to screw with her understudy.
No, my opinions stated here are from personal experience,
as well as my memory of a study I did on this topic a few
years ago.
<searching hardcopy database>
Ok, here is one of my sources:
From:
http://mentalhelp.net/perspectives/articles/art_v6n1.htm
A Primer on Narcissism by...Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
Well, whadda ya know? Probably my favorite.
Nice little paper you did there. I almost had it committed to
memory at one time after making copies and giving it out
to narcissists. Problem is, they weren't interested in changing.
I've even enlarged it to 11" x 17" with BIG TYPE for blind
narcissists!
You also wrote: Why Does The Narcissist Refuse To Grow Up?
found at www.suite101.com/article.cfm/npd/117033, which I
have a printed copy in my file, along with Idealization, Grandiosity,
Cathexis, and Narcissistic Progress, and The Narcissist's Inner
Judge.
From www.angelfire.com/ego/narcissism, I'm finding hard copies
of:
Should We Call Them Human?, Treatment Options, What is
Narcissitic Supply?, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
And then from www.halcyon.com/mashmun, I'm finding hard
copies of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) HOW TO
RECOGNIZE A NARCISSIST, and What is a personality disorder-
NPD defined from the DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria.
All in all, looks like you're the WINNER! As for me, I only
need to commit enough of this data to memory for me to
formulate an educated overview as I pursue my opinion
that people can be rehabilitated from most anything.
Thanks for posting. I kinda feel like I already know you.
*******
Mark LLC