Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Essay Example

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Introduction The term character is frequently used interchangeably with the term "personality". In the psychiatric literature, a large number of writers choose the term "personality" as more all-encompassing, demonstrating that in everyday language, character implied an evaluation of personality such as the phrase, "of high moral character". Narcissistic Personality Disorder is defined by DSM IV TR as: "A persuasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following. (1) Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g. exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements), (2) Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love, (3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with other special or high status people (or situations), (4) Requires excessive admiration, (5) Has a sense of entitlement, i.e. unreasonable expectations of especially favourable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations, (6) is interpersonally exploitive, i.e. takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends, (7) Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others, (8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her, and (9) Shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes" (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, 294). Narcissism: Meaning and Origin Narcissism is an arrangement of behaviours and conduct which indicate obsession and fixation with one's self to the omission of all others and the selfish and callous quest of one's realization, domination and desires. Narcissism is named after the primeval Greek myth of Narcissus who was a good-looking Greek youth who rejected the distressed love of the nymph Echo. In penalty of his cruelty, he was destined to fall in love with his own reflection in a pond of water. Incapable of fulfilling his love, he faded away and transformed into the flower that bears his name to this very day. Narcissistic Personality of Our Time Whether narcissism and its effects are the consequences of genetics or of broken relations and flawed rearing or of modern societies and troublesome socialization method is still an uncertain dispute. The lack of scientific study, the ambiguity of the diagnostic norms and the disparity in findings make it improbable that this will be settled soon one way or the other. It is the psychoanalytic principle that all are Narcissists at early in our lives. As babies and children all individuals feel that they are the center of the Universe, the most central, all-powerful and most important individuals. At that particular stage of development, the parents are thought to be fairy-tale people, enduring and overpoweringly dominant, their existence is there just to gratify the child's needs, to look after and nurture them. Both Self and others are regarded childishly, as some idyllic people. Predictably, the unstoppable course and battles of life wear away these views and diminish the perfect model into the actual state. Adjustment is a process of disenchantment. If this method is unexpected, conflicting, erratic, unpredictable, arbitrary and severe - the damage suffered by the infant's loving, growing, confidence, are brutal and, frequently, permanent. Furthermore, the loving support of the caretakers ---mostly parents is critical. In its absence, the sense of self-esteem and confidence in maturity tends to vary, to vary between idealization and devaluation of both self and others. The developmental block takes place at the position when the child desires compassionate mirroring to develop to become oneself. When suitable and adequate mirroring is not accessible, the outcome is denial of the existent self. The artificial self is nurtured and sustained as an effort at costs for what is missing. What has been abandoned in oneself also becomes rejected in others, leading to their devaluation. In the present time the incidence of narcissistic tendencies and behavior is very common especially in the developed world because of large number of single parent families, absent fathers, and indifferent parenting has increased the number of individuals suffering from this disorder. Narcissistic adults are generally thought to be the product of vicious displeasure, of essential disenchantment in the caregivers in their infancy. Healthy adults recognize their boundaries and limitations of their selves. They recognize failures, impediments, letdowns, disapproval and cynicism with poise and patience. Their sense of worth is even and constructive, not significantly affected by remote events, no matter how insensitive. Narcissistic Personality Disorder Most narcissists (75%) are men. NPD is frequently diagnosed with other psychological health disorders "co-morbidity"- or with substance abuse, or rash and reckless behaviours "dual diagnosis". There is only limited study about narcissism. But all research done till now has not confirmed any cultural, societal, racial, financial, hereditary, or specialized liking to NPD. It is estimated that 0.7-1% of the general population suffer from NPD. Pathological narcissism was first illustrated in detail by Freud. Other major contributors are: Klein, Horney, Kohut, Kernberg, Millon, Roningstam, Gunderson, Hare. The beginning of narcissism is in early years, childhood and early adolescence. It is frequently credited to childhood mistreatment and shock inflicted by parents, caregivers, or even peers. There is an entire range of narcissistic reactions - from the calm, automatic and transient to the permanent personality disorder. Self-Image Individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder NPD have an ostentatious notion of superiority. They habitually overrate their capability, blow up their activities, and come across as arrogant, egotistical, and affected. This belief in personal power is the basis of their personality. Persons with NPD consider that their belief of power is adequate testimony of its being. They are capable of feeling protected and satisfied if they believe well of themselves. Pessimistic view of self is reflected with rejection or excuses (Richards, 1993, 251). Nevertheless, preservation of the conviction that they are better, frequently without appropriate accomplishments, can create a hurting discrepancy between their real and their false proficiency. The damage of preserving a false personality may initiate view of duplicity, worthlessness, and unhappy feelings (Millon & Davis, 1996, 393, 420-421). McWilliams (1994, 177-178) considers that persons with NPD have some logic of their emotional weakness. They can feel either a pretentious self-state or a minimal, humiliated self-state. With peripheral assertion, they can feel pompous, vain, scornful of others, independent, and arrogant. With the deficit of external validation, they can experience an indistinct feeling of deceit, jealousy, spitefulness, and inadequacy. View of Others Persons with NPD presume that other people will immerse their requirements in favour of the ease and wellbeing of those with NPD. They suppose that since they want something that should be sufficient reason for them to have it. They imagine that others are as obsessed by anxiety for those with NPD as the persons themselves are; they think they merit extraordinary kindness from others (Millon & Davis, 1996, 394). Narcissistic people use others to realize their own emotional needs and to preserve the strength of the self; everyone else is judged by much they are able to contribute towards providing the individual with reassurance and mental stability (Wink, 1996, 149). Kantor (1992, 206) observes that persons with NPD have problem collaborating with other people as their interest is on themselves. They view others as vassals or supporters; they seek approval to document their own portentousness and to conserve their superior status (Beck, 1990, 49). They have trouble acknowledging the feelings and belief of others. They don't have understanding and develop not many real emotional relationships. They have to be admired at all times. If they are able to understand the needs of others, they are prone to view these aspects as signs of limitations and susceptibility (Oldham, 1990, p. 96). When able to observe this susceptibility, persons with NPD act in an overbearing and bullying manner (Birtchnell, 1996, 186). Relationships NPD associations are impaired because of power, need for appreciation, and disrespect for the opinion of others. Persons with NPD are abusive and manipulative in their relationships; they demand extraordinary favours with no mutual responsibilities (Millon & Davis, 1996, 405-406). Their capability to experience love for others is insignificant (McWilliams, 1994, p. 175) and they have only the type of understanding that lets them influence and obtain approval from others (Wink, 1996, p. 159). Concerns with Power Experienced persons with NPD are regularly in rank of authority themselves. If dealing with other people with power, they are not respectful, genial or pompous, and demanding special treatment. They do not disclose any information disparaging to them and act with sanctimonious righteous anger when interrogated. Dishonesty is not hard; suppression is a regular behaviour. These persons are reluctant to recognize that society's limits affect them. NPD Behaviour NPD behaviour is typically superior. These persons act in a haughty, condescending, self-important, and derisive way. They have a casual disrespect for their own private honesty and an arrogant apathy to the privileges or desires of others (Millon & Davis, 1996, 405). However, they can also demonstrate antagonism, social dignity, self-confidence, leadership possibility, and accomplishment direction (Wink, 1996, 153-154). Their dream and self-assurance may show the way to failure, but their act can also be spoiled by their intolerance of disapproval. For all of their affectedness, persons with NPD are amazingly oversensitive. They are easily insulted and regularly believe they are being neglected (Golomb, 1992, 22). Individuals with NPD also feel monotony, discontent, and a need of realization and significance in their work (Wink, 1996, 149). It is difficult for these persons to stay in long-term service where accountability for mistake or collapse gets extremely to hide (Richards, 1992, 252). Affective Issues NPD influence is usually offhand, calm, and categorized by artificial tranquillity. This alters when persons with NPD go through a loss of self-assurance. Then they become enraged and might go through feelings of embarrassment and bareness. If these persons lose their egotistical feelings of simple control, they become touchy, angry, and subject to frequent spells of unhappiness and embarrassment (Millon & Davis, 1996, 405-408). Protective Structure Individuals with NPD are ensnared in a sort of perfectionism. They have idealistic principles for themselves; then they either encourage themselves that they have achieved these principles or suffer intrinsically defective and a not a success (McWilliams, 1994, 174). Narcissism an Indicator of Signs of Time Culture determines what is to be subdued. Mental illness is either characteristic or traditionalist, remaining by the cultural principle of what is authorized and barred. Our culture shows individuals to withdraw into themselves when they are challenged with traumatic situations. It is a fierce circle. One of the major eventualities of contemporary culture is isolation and a persistent feeling of separation. The answer this culture and time offers persons is to further runaway which only aggravates the problem. C. Fred Alford details the signs: "...withdrawal, emotional aloofness, emotional flatness, sex without emotional involvement, segmentation and partial involvement (lack of interest and commitment to things outside oneself), fixation on oral-stage issues, regression, infantilism and depersonalization. These, of course, are many of the same designations that Lasch employs to describe the culture of narcissism. Thus, it appears that it is not misleading to equate narcissism with schizoid disorder." (1988, 19). Thus this disease has become more common and the problems associated with this disorder have become more severe as individuals think form a materialistic selfish point of view, they ignore the consequences of their behaviour on their offspring: divorce, single parent families headed by women, indifferent parenting, or even abusive and violent behaviour can cause a lot of damage to any child, therefore the disease is more of a result of the modern cultural norms and what is acceptable in society. Conclusion Researchers point to experience of suffering in infancy and the caregiver or mother's answer to the infant, particularly in regards to his or her upbringing, growth and adjustment to the child's requirements. Certainly, need of responsiveness and presence of the caregiver or mother can have enduring developmental costs. According to Imbesi (1999, 43) a constant characteristic of the NPD parents was an inclination to hopelessness and "guilt-laden masochistic submissiveness" to their children. In addition common feature of the parents was flawed character, an incapability to be firm, constant nervousness, and concerns of anger. It is evident that it is actually inadequate and indifferent parenting which has led many infants and children to become narcissistic. Reference Alford C. F (1988). Narcissism: Socrates, the Frankfurt School, and Psychoanalytic Theory, Yale University Press. Beck, A T, Freeman, A. (1990). Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders. New York: The Guilford Press. Birtchnell, J. (1996). "Detachment," Personality Characteristics of the Personality Disordered. Costello, Charles G., editor. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. DSM-IV-TR 2000: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. American Psychological Association. Golomb, E. (1992). Trapped in the Mirror Adult Children of Narcissists in Their Struggle for Self. New York: Quill - William Morrow. Imbesi, Lucia.(1999)The making of a Narcissist. Clinical Social Work Journal Vol.27,Iss.1;41-55 Kantor, M, (1992). Diagnosis and Treatment of the Personality Disorders. St. Louis, Tokyo: Ishiyaku EuroAmerica, Inc. McWilliams, N. (1994). Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process. New York: The Guilford Press. Millon, T, Davis, R. (1996). Disorders of Personality DSM-IV and Beyond. New York: John Wiley & Sons Oldham, J M., Morris, L B. (1990). The Personality Self-Portrait, Why You Think, Work, Love, and Act the Way You Do. New York: Bantam Books. Richards, H J. (1993). Therapy of the Substance Abuse Syndromes. Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson Inc. Wink, P. (1995). "Narcissism," Personality Characteristics of the Personality Disordered. Charles G. Costello, editor. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Read More