Personality Disorder is an ingrained pattern of relating to other people, situation, events with rigid and maladaptive patters of inner experience and behaviour. In DSM-5 it represents a different set of behaviour which is categorized under different categories. The type of behaviours that this disorder represents involve excessive dependency, fear regarding intimacy, intense worry, uncontrollable range etc. There are three clusters which come under this disorder that are as follows, Cluster A includes Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal personality disorder which share features involving odd and eccentric behaviour. Cluster B involves antisocial, borderline, histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorder which share overdramatic, emotional and unpredictable attitudes and behaviours. Cluster C includes avoidant, dependent and obsessive compulsive personality disorders, which share anxious and fearful behaviours.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is primarily characterized by an unrealistic, inflated sense of self-importance and a lack of sensitivity to the needs of other people. It comes under Cluster B personality disorder. The term comes from a character in Greek mythology called Narcissus. He saw his reflection in the water and fell in love with it.
It should not be confused with high self- confidence and self- esteem. High self-esteem people are humble while people with NPD are likely to be selfish; they boss over people and ignore other feelings and needs. They may have high self-esteem but they are insecure. They think of themselves as better than others. Some individuals have grandiose self which is referred by clinicians as Grandiose Narcissism. They rely on other people to confirm their worth. They are more sensitive to rejections, feel a sense of shame. They are shy and not empathic. When they feel that they have not lived up to their standards they withdraw themselves socially. They derive themselves from the way that they believe other people view them. In their personal relationships, they cannot develop true closeness with their partners because they are so focused on themselves that they ignore other person feelings and needs. They are unhappy with their life in general and take it n a negative way. They are unable to see the damaging effects their behavior is causing to themselves and others.
According to studies, NPD may occur in approximately 1 per cent of the population. The ratios are higher in the population of individuals seeking clinical treatments with those estimates ranging from 2 to as high as 36 percent.
CHARACTERISTICS
People with NPD have following traits-
- A lot of attention from others
- Feeling of Jealousy
- They want to achieve high and want importance
- Easily gets hurt when rejected
- They always imagine about success and power
- Lack of ability to understand others feelings and needs
- Respond to criticism with anger, humiliation and shame
- Always expect others will agree with them
- Whatever they have or want is the best
- Cannot maintain healthy and personal relationships
SYMPTOMS
The traditional Freudian psychoanalytic approach regards narcissism as the individual’s failure to progress beyond the early, highly self-focused stages of psychosexual development. In order for a person to be diagnosed with NPD must have at least five or more symptoms. The symptoms are as follows:
- Should have a grandiose sense of self importance
- Should be preoccupied with their fantasies of success, power, talent and beauty
- Should believe they are special or unique
- Require excessive admiration
- Strong sense of entitlement
- Take advantage of others to achieve their goals
- Lack of empathy
- Envious of others
- Regularly showing arrogance attitude
CAUSES
The exact reason for this disorder is still unknown. The clinicians believed that it may result from a combination of factors which include childhood traumas such as physical, sexual or verbal. Relationships with parents, friends and other family members also matter. The Genetic structure or family history can be a reason. Different Personality and temperament can also be a cause.
DIAGNOSIS
There are no specific lab tests for this disorder. As it is a personality disorder and can overlap with other personality disorders. To solve this problem Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM is used. The symptoms should match with personal behaviour and attitudes. Researchers agree that both genetics ad environmental factors play their role. Individuals with this disorder have less volume of grey matter in their left anterior insula of the brain which is responsible for emotional regulation, empathy and cognitive functioning.
TREATMENT
Many people suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder rarely seek treatment. But it is important to seek treatment from clinicians. There are different ways by which a person can be treated, those are as follows:
- Clinicians who work within a psychodynamic perspective try to provide a corrective developmental experience. They use empathy to support the person. They guide them toward a more realistic appreciation that no one is flawless. As the client feels that their therapist supports them, they become less grandiose and self-centred.
- Cognitive- Behavioral theorists focus on maladaptive ideas of the client. They try them to convince them to act less selfishly and show them a better way to reach their goals. The therapist avoids the client’s demands for special favours and attention. They also make them learn to put limits in life.
- No medication has been approved for this disorder. They may be prescribed with mood stabilizers or antidepressants. Medication may be given to treat co-occurring conditions such as mood disorders and anxiety disorders.
- Self-help strategies include setting boundaries to expectations. A person should practice self-care. They should take help from the therapist. They should start showing support to others feelings and needs and should see their life as positive rather than having a negative attitude for others and themselves.
CONCLUSION
It can be challenging to treat a narcissistic person but by taking help from a therapist can prove very helpful because changes in behaviour can happen any time. The person should feel free to praise others when they do something right. Show empathy to others and acknowledge them. A great partnership between both the person suffering from the disorder and the people in the environment will help the person to treat quickly and in a much better way.
