Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD, is a serious Mental Health Condition that requires professional intervention and treatment. If you do not address this Mental Health Disorder with a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, the symptoms will worsen and create increasingly severe consequences throughout your life. However, it is not always easy to tell when the problems you face are the result of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
By understanding the symptoms of this Mental Health Disorder and the ways it can negatively impact your life, you can more easily identify the problem and pursue professional, evidence-based treatment with a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Learn more about when someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder should seek help with this guide.
Narcissistic Traits vs. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
One of the biggest difficulties in accurately identifying Narcissistic Personality Disorder is that narcissism is a trait in and of itself. Not everyone with narcissistic traits has a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In fact, many people—including people who come across as charismatic, popular, and successful—have narcissistic qualities. How, then, do you tell the difference between narcissistic traits and NPD?
The answer lies in the impact of those traits on your life. NPD is a Mental Health Disorder, which means it involves a pattern of behavior that affects your entire life. If narcissistic traits start causing problems socially or professionally, they could be an indicator of NPD. Furthermore, if those narcissistic traits have a significant impact on your thought patterns, behaviors, and overall mental and emotional well-being, these traits may have evolved into a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Below are some of the most common narcissistic traits to look out for.
A Sense of Entitlement
Someone with narcissistic traits—whether they have Narcissistic Personality Disorder or not—often believes they are superior to those around them. This superiority creates a sense of entitlement. You might believe you deserve special treatment even if you have not done anything to earn said treatment. This sense of entitlement can also lead to a belief that you have certain privileges, such as being above the rules or having other people obey your wishes.
Fantasies of Importance, Success, and Power
Narcissism can also lead to a preoccupation with your own importance. You might feel more valuable, powerful, intelligent, attractive, successful, or powerful than those around you. This feeling causes you to prioritize your own goals and endeavors over those around you. It can also lead to fantasies about success, power, and fame.
In the case of NPD, this preoccupation consumes your thoughts and influences your behaviors, creating an overarching problem that negatively affects other aspects of your life.
Manipulative or Controlling Behaviors
Narcissism fuels a deep-seated need for control, which can lead to manipulative behaviors that influence your relationships with others. You might try to please or impress someone in your life to control their view of you. Alternatively, you might keep someone at arm’s length to prevent them from seeing parts of your life or personality you do not want them to see.
This manipulation and control can also lead to exploitation. You might prioritize what people have or what they can do for you over who they are and how much they care for you. It is important to note that these tendencies are not always deliberate. Some people with narcissistic traits mean well but end up taking advantage of others unintentionally.
A Need for Admiration
Narcissism goes hand in hand with attention-seeking behaviors. This commonly manifests as a constant need for admiration, praise, and validation. Many people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder become reliant on external validation and develop a habit of constantly bragging, exaggerating accomplishments, or even outright lying to obtain praise and recognition. This need for praise can also lead to an unhealthy fixation on other people’s thoughts and perceptions of you.
A Lack of Empathy
Narcissistic traits and Narcissistic Personality Disorder can make it hard to empathize with others. You might struggle to recognize and identify other people’s emotions. This lack of empathy, in turn, makes it difficult to see and understand the needs or wants of others. Moreover, you might view other people expressing their needs and wants as a sign of weakness.
This struggle with empathy makes it hard to both accept and return kindness. It also makes it hard to express interest in others or support them when they need you. Furthermore, a lack of empathy makes it easier to unintentionally say or do things that hurt those around you.
A Sense of Superiority and Arrogance
Feelings of superiority and arrogance can negatively impact your perceptions of and relationships with other people. You might talk down or act rudely to those you do not deem worthy of your time or attention. This arrogance can even develop into abusive behaviors, especially when you do not receive the level of special treatment you feel you deserve.
Arrogance can also fuel a belief that, because you are special, you should only be around unique and special people. This belief can lead to ignoring or casting aside people who care about you because you believe they are inferior. It also can cause you to insist you should have the best of everything—the best house, car, job, and so on—because of your belief in your own superiority.
When NPD Affects Your Relationships
Someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder should seek help when these traits start to negatively affect their life. One of the clearest indicators is when NPD starts to cause tension and conflict in your relationships. Someone with NPD might have unrealistic expectations or demands for special treatment that cause challenges in their relationships. Furthermore, entitled or manipulative behaviors can prevent healthy communication and lead to unhealthy relationship dynamics.
When NPD leads to feelings of frustration, resentment, or issues such as manipulation and poor communication, it is time to seek professional help.
When NPD Affects Your Work
Narcissistic Personality Disorder can also have a negative impact on your professional life. The tendency to fixate on your own goals and accomplishments while disregarding the achievements of others creates a toxic work environment. It can separate you from colleagues and create tension and conflict in your career. Narcissistic traits can also prevent you from handling feedback in a healthy manner, which can cause conflict with superiors and prevent you from growing and excelling in your work.
When NPD Affects Your Self-Esteem
While Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves feelings of arrogance and entitlement, these symptoms actually stem from deep insecurity. Individuals with NPD are extremely harsh on themselves. Self-criticism and self-doubt are narcissistic traits that, over time, deteriorate your self-esteem and create an extremely negative and hurtful image of yourself. Low self-esteem can cause you to lash out at others and yourself. It also prevents you from trying new things, developing new skills, and reaching your full potential in life. If your low self-esteem is impacting your quality of life, it is time to seek treatment from a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder Treatment
If you are looking for a Narcissistic Personality Disorder Psychologist in LA, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Bel Air, Century City, Brentwood, Westwood, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, and the surrounding areas, contact Blair Wellness Group to see how our evidence-based treatment plans can help you.
