Narcissism

Narcissism is defined as “an excessive interest in, or admiration of oneself and one’s physical appearance…selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy…selfcenteredness…”-Oxford Dictionary. ”According to Sigmund Freud, narcissism is a normal stage in child development, but it is considered a disorder when it occurs after puberty.”-Britannica.com. ”Studies show that the number of college-age students with narcissistic personality traits has increased significantly over the past 2-3 decades…”-instyle.com/ Dr. Jenn Mann/ 4/28/21.

There are considered 7 different types of narcissism: 1) The Overt type: ”Known as grandiose narcissism, this is what we typically think of when we talk about a narcissist. These people are usually extroverted, grandiose, aggressive, and attention seeking. They can be very charming and typically expect special treatment. They can be predatory in their ability to see vulnerability in others and use it against them. They are highly competitive and are willing to humiliate others in order to gain a perceived win.” 2) The Covert type. ”Sometimes referred to as ”narcissistic vulnerability,” this type of person tends to be passive-aggressive but comes across as very helpless. They tend to present themselves as victims and are quick to cry or stage a crisis to gain attention. They also tend to struggle with anxiety and or depression. 3) The Hypervigilant type. ”The types of narcissists tend to be highly sensitive to body language, facial reactions, tone and reactions of others. They tend to take things personally and be hypersensitive to criticism. They are prone to feeling shame or humiliation and can be self-effacing. They are likely to direct action towards others and prefer not to be the center of attention.” 4) The Oblivious type. ”While most narcissists are unaware of the feelings of others, this type is known for being completely lacking in awareness and sensitivity towards others. They are missing that sensitivity chip. They are self-absorbed, arrogant, aggressive, and need to be the center of attention.” 5) The Exhibitionist type. ”The need for constant attention is like a bottomless pit for these people. They think they are better than others physically and intellectually. They look down on others, even their friends and family. They are very status conscious and materialistic. They think they are very special and have an enormous need to be admired all the time.” 6)The Sexual type. ”The sexual narcissist feels entitled to have their sexual needs met. They have a self-centered view of sex and tend to not be skilled at emotional intimacy and therefore are not very interested in their partner’s needs. They frequently overestimate their skills in the bedroom because they are not very tuned into their partners. Yet, they need and expect a lot of praise for their performance in bed. They react poorly to sexual rejection. They expect sex in return for gifts or nice gestures and will pressure, trick or manipulate you into having sex with them.” 7) The Malignant type. ”This dangerous type of personality disorder is really a cross between narcissistic personality disorder and what we strinks call anti-social personality disorder. This means they have no ability to feel empathy. They are what pop psychology calls a ” psychopath” or ”sociopath.” These aggressive, hostile, paranoid people are sadistic and dehumanizing to those around them. Many experts believe that Adolf Hitler was a malignant narcissist. This is the most dangerous type of narcissist, and if you think you might be dating one, run for the hills. This type of person will hurt you physically, emotionally, financially, sexually and not bat an eyelash or have any remorse.”-instyle.com./ Dr. Jenn Mann/ 4/28/21.

So, what causes Narcissistic Personality Disorder ? ”There’s no single cause, but researchers agree it’s both genetic and environmental. Narcissist’s ”have been found to have less volume of gray matter in the left anterior insula, the part of the brain related to empathy, emotional regulation, compassion and cognitive functioning.”-psycom.net. Environmental factors may include:

•Childhood abuse or neglect

•Excessive parental pampering

•Unrealistic expectations from parents

•Sexual promiscuity

•Cultural influences- healthline.com.1/2/20.

Examples of what makes a person a narcissist:

•”Narcissism is a defense mechanism developed by the brain of a person who got severely hurt…narcissism prevents further hurt of the Ego by exaggerating self-worth and devaluing all of those who put the person down.”

•”When there’s a big gap between the ideal self and the real self.”…feelings of inferiority when they fail to live up to their high standards can cause narcissism.”

•”Parents who excessively praise their children might let them develop an unrealistic view of themselves.”…setting very high standards, which are unreasonable, can cause narcissism.”

•”When a person feels inferior, he might try to cover that by acting superior.”

•”If a person has low self-worth, feels not worthy or important, such a person develops narcissism to act like they are extremely worthy and important to reduce the effect of their original wound.”

•”Children who are neglected or abused develop a very low self worth.”…Some try to elevate their low self worth by acting superior.”

•”If a child is overly spoiled, they might conclude they are extremely special or important.”

•”Being raised by narcIssistic parents, narcissistic parents can easily transfer their narcissism to their children. The parents will try to make the child belleve they are special and superior since they believe that everything that belongs to them, including their children, is considered very special.”

•”According to one theory, all children are born narcissists, then slowly learn they are not the center of the universe.” Some children get stuck in that phase and don’t develop out of it.

•A genetic factor, spoken about previously, Re: gray matter.

•”Failure of development of empathy.”

•”Focusing on themselves while ignoring everyone else.”- speeli.com. 4/25/22.

Do narcissists have high self esteem? Yes, but they lack a secure sense of self esteem, having what researchers call a ”fragile high self esteem.” -SteveRosePhd.com

Treatment: ”Psychotherapy, also called “talk therapy” can help by working to increase empathy and compassion.”…But don’t expect progress overnight. Treatment can be a long, slow going, uphill battle, and just as with other personality disorders, patients may need to be more motivated than a typical therapy client to make progress and resolve their issues.”-psycom.net.

Prevalence of narcissism within the population is 6.2 %, but sometimes goes undiagnosed…treated, narcissism has a remission rate of 52.5%, but high dimensional stability.”-psychiatrictimes.com. 2/29/2016.

The bigger question is : How many narcissistic people are completely unaware of their narcissism and go untreated? Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., Psychoanalyst, author, states : ”In my experience, narcissists with a full blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder, do not know they are narcissists, especially without any professional treatment. They feel their self-absorption is warranted. An unempathetic person is unaware of their lack of empathy.”…”The narcissist does not recognize compromise should be a part of relationships or family life….the individual is entitled to be the focus of attention….if the narcissist fails at some endeavor, they will most likely blame others.”…”the control theme of the narcissist is ”me,me,me,” which is the core of their personality disorder…without treatment, they will be so entrenched in the beliefs that they can become quite depressed, anxious and lonely because they are so inept at satisfying relationships…this is an illness, not simply an aberrant character trait for someone with inexplicable values.” – Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., Psychoanalyst, author, upjourney.com. 2/13/22. / Done