Examples of Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptom Manifestations

This video describes Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with unlimited success, feeling too special to be understood by regular people, needing excessive admiration, a sense of entitlement, being interpersonally exploitative, having a lack of empathy, being envious and others and believe others are envious of them, and being arrogant. Oftentimes an individual with Narcissistic Personality Disorder wants to be recognized as superior, believes they are so complex and amazing that they can only be understood by special people, has low self-esteem, devalues the contributions of others, and is condescending. Criticism is not well received by most people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Comorbid disorders include other personality disorders (e.g. Antisocial Personality Disorder), Anorexia Nervosa, and substance use disorders (especially cocaine use disorder). The prevalence of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is about 1%. Common goals in mental health treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder include adjusting behavior to improve relationships, developing skills resolve employment and career issues, and increasing insight. Clinically significant distress is required for a diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder as stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). It's important to remember that NPD is a serious mental health disorder and necessitates treatment. Although we know that a lot of times when people have MPD they do not come in for treatment. A number of the treatments that we see for NPD are somewhat effective particularly if people stay in treatment for a long period of time. We know of course that NPD is a personality disorder and we expect the symptoms to be chronic and long-lasting, so getting sufficient treatment sometimes involves a longer duration of treatment. Also, it's important remember that we think of NPD as being protective. It's a mechanism we believe comes about, in part, to protect a fragile sense of self. People with NPD are genuinely suffering even though they may not realize why or they may not even realize they have a disorder. When working with NPD, as is the case when working with any mental disorder, it's important as mental health professionals that we show compassion and try to deliver effective treatment.

[jannettb]

My ex was clinically diagnosed with NPD, and he would actually brag that he was a 'perfect 9', because his therapist said he had 9 out of 9 traits.

[livelife]

NPD Criteria:
1. Grandiose sense of self importance
2. Preoccupation with power & status
3. Convinced of being special or unique
4. Need for excessive admiration
5. Sense of entitlement
6. Exploitation & manipulation
7. Lack of empathy
8. Envious or preoccupied with being envied
9. Arrogance & contempt

[biaanibeu]

I was raised by a narcisist. After years of therapy I think that I can detect it in people pretty fast. I confront their "reality" sentance by sentance, repeating what they say immediately after they said it. I think sometimes that they can't hear themselves talk. So when they do, they just get stuck and very very angry if not furious. It was kinda fun to see how easy they start fuming. But now I feel sorry for my Mom and people like her, because they do not know how other people see them and like my Mom, end up isolated, pretty much abandoned at old age. My mother thinks she is allergic to almost every food and is terribly thin due to needing and not getting attention. I limit my interactions with her and place strict bounderies. She is killing herself and doesn't know why. It's very very sad and I still struggle between feeling empathy for her and the feeling of never wanting to see her or hear her voice ever again.

[billymcnutt]

My stepson has NPD and it is very frustrating. Every day is like walking on eggshells for me. Nearly every time i get onto him and point out that something he did is not okay he turns the situation around on me and argues about something completely unrelated to the current situation.

[Tawny]

They don't choose not to have empathy, they simply don't care. It never enters their mind what someone else is feeling.

[serberfjes]

My best way of dealing with a narcissist is to make myself out to be as boring as possible in order to distance myself from them. That way if they want to know what I did during the weekend I'll lie and and make up something super boring. This way the freaks will leave me alone.

[ClaireSamuelsVA]

Thank you so, so much for your videos on NPD.

Contrary to popular belief, being a narcissist is not all about grandiose self-absorption. The emotional instability that comes from my unstable sense of self is beyond difficult to handle. I feel amazing until I feel worthless.

My self-esteem is dictated by my power, accomplishments, and admiration. It’s very unsustainable.

I appreciate the fact that you are one of the few prominent voices on YouTube who recognizes that this disorder is distressing to the sufferer.

Your presentation of narcissistic personality disorder is a humanizing one, and it means a lot.

[bludelphinium]

I like how he always uses proper terminology and seems to have respect for ppl who have illnesses.

[myiramddhif]

I'm stuck in a very toxic and dysfunctional relationship/marriage for 4 years, with a pathological narcissist. It's awful. I was never able to share anything substantial with the guy I'm with. It's like I've been in the relationship all alone. Looking at the mirror but nothing reflects back. Creepy.

[deeprollingriver]

One of my father’s narcissist traits was putting my mother, my siblings and I in danger without regard to our safety. I look back on the crap he did and I am shocked on the level of disregard.

[carriesilvinaespinozavilla]

Thank you Dr. Grande for your videos. In regards to "lack of empathy", many people seem to think that the Narcissistic Personality Disordered person is incapable of understanding what empathy is simply because he/she exercises deprivation through withholding appropriate empathy. Quite to the contrary my anecdotal experience has been that the NPD finds empathy to be a highly valued commodity that he/she believes that he/she is the only one who is "deserving" of or "entitled" to. The NPD'd person will go to great lengths to garner unearned empathy. The grossly inflated lies, the skillfulness at the misrepresentation of facts are often intricately weaved into the story so that the listener will be coerced to become very empathetic towards the person with NPD. People can be very deceived by this creative subterfuge, which as you know is another technique that the NPD can artfully act out in Munchhausens by Proxy.

[KeystoneState]

You basically just described the personality of the majority of people who work in corporate America.

[touchingthewound]

I'm just commenting a general sentiment on a random video of yours - I work in the mental health field as a case manager for adults with severe, chronic mental illness, and my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in psychology. I watch your channel every night and I look forward to doing so. Your videos have helped me with my work and in my personal life, and reinforce my love of learning and psychology. Thank you for these well thought out videos, please keep making them.

[AshitaNoKanousei]

HOLY F-ing mother!! Okay, I got tricked into falling in love with someone who fit this description. Other people used the word "narcissist, " but I misunderstood that to mean just someone who thinks they're all that. This was so helpful to my healing process, thank you!

[AmyLynnBurch]

Very informative, thank you! I appreciate that you pointed out that the person who exhibits signs of NPD is indeed suffering and it is easy to forget that when one is on the receiving end of their bad behavior. I appreciate the balanced perspective.

[jolly]

Yes, people with NPD are suffering and professional treatment should be empathic, but NPDs create a lot of suffering and destruction wherever they go it seems, making it difficult if not impossible for lay people to show empathy toward the disordered person. Dr. Grande does an excellent job providing strategies for coping with such individuals though.

[SummeRain]

Can you please do a video on how to self help if a person notices narcissistic personality traits in themselves. Would be awesome thanks!

[mikelicquia]

I lived with a Histrionic and they certainly have negative characteristics. The book "Emotional Vampires" gives a better description I believe. Also the idea that histrionics shrug off criticism is way off target. They crave approval and criticism is the opposite of that. Because it strikes at the core of who they are they respond with rage. I wish I didn't understand this so well.

[natashaevsimon]

Show compassion ???
This compassion I showed led me unto the journey of destruction by my ex.
That's is the exact fuel they use to abuse.

[EternityWish]

Dr. Grande,
Emotional abuse is currently a crime in the US. I would like to see a video on how to legally charge narcissists with emotional abuse.