An Overview Of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissism is a disorder that is prevalent in 6.2% percent of people. It is a disorder that elevates one's ego, but leaves them with very fragile self-esteem. It shows up in higher rates for men, being at 7.7%, while women have a rate of 4.8%. This disorder affects around 1% of the population as a whole. Many people confuse this disorder with people who are simply egotistical, however this is a much serious situation that people do not fully understand.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder comes from the mythological figure Narcissus, who was described as a handsome young man. One day, he was walking down near water, and saw his reflection for the first time. Amazed, he stayed there admiring himself and unable to look away. Throughout history, people had similar characteristics, but there was never a definite thing to diagnose with. However, after this became a more common characteristic to have, It was finally established in the 1980’s. This was when medical clinics and officials decided to research and name this disorder.
With this disorder there are many effects and layers that develop within a person’s personality. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a pattern of self-centered arrogant thinking and behavior. This makes them seem to be very cocky and arrogant, but in reality, they are left with a very fragile sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Many that have this disorder suffer with depression and anxiety as well. This results in them needing constant praise and admiration from the people they have surrounded themselves with. Even when the people do give them the admiration they need, often they do not think twice before exploiting others without any guilt or remorse. This means that people with this disorder do not have many friends because they are constantly belittled and ridiculed by the person with this disorder. In every situation, they are looking to find a way to show how much better they are than you. They presume that they should be recognized and seen as superior, even if the title is undeserved. This may lead to false fantasies about success in all areas of life. The false fantasies and visualizations could then be used to monopolize conversations, and used to mistreat that person's peers, leaving them incapable of recognizing the needs and feelings of others that are being hurt by their words and actions. This ultimately leads one to insist on having a lavish lifestyle of materialism, proving how important they are in the public eye. For instance, having the best car, the highest paying job, or the best home.
The causes of this disorder have not yet been determined, but Mayo clinic has determined it to be linked to environment, genetics, or neurobiology. As a child, if you are exposed to constant praise and excessive admiration from your guardian, this can lead to a high ego and mental instability. This is also true in the other direction if their guardian gave excessive criticism, which can have the same effect. Due to genetics, the disorder is often passed down to you from your family. This is something that cannot be changed or altered for a child, because it is in their DNA coding. Neurobiology effects the connection of the brain with its expressions of behavior and thinking. This means that a person’s thinking may be altered or not common as the rest of society. Many times the symptoms for this disorder start to arise during teenage and early adulthood. There may be some signs in children, but this can be due to their age and development at the time.
Often with this disorder, one can be diagnosed with other mental disorders at the same time. Frequently, when someone is diagnosed with NPD it can have a comorbidity with mood disorders, eating disorders, and/or substance abuse. The most common disorders to be diagnosed with NPD are; Histrionic, Borderline, Paranoia, and Antisocial Personality Disorder. Patients with this disorder also have a higher likelihood of depression which can allow many other problems to arise.
Due to this disorder being located in the brain, the main use of treatment is talk therapy. This is known as psychotherapy, which allows the patient to talk about what they are feeling, going through, or struggling with, and teaching them how to respond and cope with the situation. By talking to someone about what you are thinking, it can help you relate to others allowing for a more intimate and understanding connection with people.
Many people self-diagnose this disorder because almost everyone has some characteristics of this disorder within their personality. However, there are diagnosed people among the popular eye in society today. For example, Kanye West is one of the most commonly known narcissists in society today. Kanye West is a famous rapper, and is married to beauty producer, Kim Kardashian. He has on many occasions referred to himself as god, and is now trying to run for president. Mariah Carey is also known to be the biggest “Diva” out there. She is very specific about her work, and wants nothing below her standards. She is known to be very demanding of her co-workers, and rude when asking for them. She has said she believes she is better than most people, and is reassured through her income. She is very materialistic and cocky, which are some of the main signs of a narcissist.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is something that is uncontrollable, however it can be managed. With the right treatment and motivation, this disorder does not have to control your life. If you keep an open mind, this can greatly help with the symptoms that comes with NPD.
