Narcissistic personality disorder - Essay Example

? Narcissistic personality disorder Narcissistic personality disorder Introduction Narcissistic personality disorder is a serious condition that is usually characterized by an overblown sense of self grandiosity, extreme desire for admiration and self involvement as well as the absence of empathy among other. Affected individuals are usually arrogantly confident and self assured. As a result they often expect to be noticed as superior. However, despite their inflated sense confidence, most people suffering from Narcissistic personality disorder have a highly fragile and vulnerable self esteem and may be very sensitive to defeat or criticism. Although this weakness may not be outwardly visible, criticism often haunt these individuals leaving them with feelings of being degraded, humiliated, empty and hollow. As a result they tend to react with rage, defiant counterattack and disdain to any form of criticism (Millon, 2006). Generally the social life of persons suffering from the disorder is often impaired particularly due to their unrealistic sense of entitlement, abnormal need of admiration and their relative disregard to the feelings and sensitivities of others. The prevalence of the disorder is estimated to be about 1% of our general population and between 2-16% of psychiatric outpatients have been diagnosed with Narcissistic personality disorder (APA, 2000). This paper discusses the narcissistic personality disorder with regard to its causes, symptomatic characteristics and potential management strategies in the affected individuals. Symptoms of Narcissistic personality disorder One of the major characteristics of persons suffering from narcissistic personality disorder is the grandiose sense of self importance which is usually manifested through exaggerated talents and achievements, constant expectation to be seen as superior even without commensurate achievement. Narcissistic personality disorder, also referred to as NPD is a personality disorder in which the affected person has a distorted self-image, unbalanced and severe emotions. The person suffering from this disorder is also preoccupied with vanity, prestige, power and personal and adequacy, this particular individual lacks compassion and has a ballooned sense of superiority. According to Ronningstam (2011), the individuals with the disorder are often preoccupied with extreme fantasies of power, brilliance, beauty and unlimited success and as a result they usually develop a perception that they are unique and can only associate with high status people or institutions. This is particularly because narcissistic persons have certain weird behaviors like reacting to criticism negatively, taking advantage of others to achieve their goals, imagining impractical fantasies of brilliance duty and intelligence, they also acquire constant attention and positive strengthening from others and in turn these become jealous in nature and at the same time become certainly hurt. Although their excessive self confidence and ambition may make them have high achievement and successes in life, their performance can easily be disrupted to due their intolerance of defeat and criticism. Such individuals may also very easily get hurt and as a result often find it difficult to keep healthy relationship for they always feel excluded by others in the society. In addition, they also show governance, egotism, in flappable and to some extent greater to others. These characters with narcissistic personality disorder are also evident among individuals with strong self-esteem and self-assurance where the dissimilarity lies on the psychological organizations of the mannerisms well-thought-out is pathological. In some cases, the inability of persons with Narcissistic personality disorder to take part in competitions or situations where defeat is possible may result in their low vocational functioning. An individual with the disorder may also find it difficult to growing old due to the fear of losing their former superiority. Traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder are common in most teenagers and adolescents and a majority of the affected individuals tend to grow out of their narcissistic behaviors as they mature into adulthood. For example, teenagers and young adults with the disorder are often preoccupied with their looks and have bloated egoistical tendencies but such behaviors may dwindle as they cognitively mature and grow into adulthood. Unfortunately, to some persons, the condition may intensify and persist into adulthood with a number of negative effects on their career, relationships and social life. Potential causes of the personality disorder The exact cause of narcissistic personality disorder is not well known. Some propose it may be linked to certain circumstances during infanthood such as overly-high anticipation, over babying, emotive abuse or even neglect in some cases. As common with a number of personality disorders, the causes of narcissistic behaviors is complex and can be linked to a combination of various factors such as genetics, dysfunctional childhood, extreme child rearing(excessive praise and pampering) and other psychobiological factors. According to many scientists, these factors when combine, may contribute to the development of an individual with an oversensitive temperament and bloated sense of self image. With regard, genetics, recent studies have attempted to correlate the existence of personality disorders and the variation of certain genes. Some experts have believed in genetic link being a monumental factor in narcissistic disorder assumption as well as the way the brain behaves, thinks and respond to ecological stimuli. For example, it is argued that a particular gene known as tryptophan hydroxylase-2 has significant influence on the development of personality disorders like such as narcissistic behaviors (Markowitz, 2005). On the other hand, childhood abuse and traumatic experiences have been known to contribute to the development of a number of personality disorders including NPD. For example, lack of affection and parental love may a child to develop a perception that vulnerability is not acceptable and as a result loose his sense of empathy towards others. An over sensitive temperament at birth can be a warning signal. Individuals could have also learnt manipulative disorders from other family members during childhood. Pathological narcissism occurs in a spectrum of severity. In its life-threatening forms, it is considered to effect from a person’s belief that they are unsound in a way that makes them fundamentally intolerable to others. Pathological narcissism can develop from impairment in the quality of the people’s relationship with their primary caregivers, usually the parents in that they could not form a healthy and emphatic attachment to them. Diagnosis and management According to Sperry (1999), the diagnosis of personality disorders like narcissistic personality disorder is usually difficult and is therefore left fro trained mental health professionals such as psychiatrists and psychologists. A diagnosis for the disorder is often determined using the symptoms and life history of the affected individual. Some help groups and specialists in psychology and medicine have developed in genius ways to diagnose NDP. Even though there is no specific lab tests to point NPD some tests may ordered such as x-rays and blood tests. The patients’ medical history and physical exam if some signs and symptoms are present can be taken. These scientific tests are there to rule out some physical conditions and maladies which may be the causative agent of the symptoms. Individuals’ psychotherapy can also be efficiently used in the management of narcissistic persona disorder although the course can be challenging and period consuming. There is no effective known cure for NPD at the tick that is why psychotherapy system of management is advised on. Psychotherapy may include CBT cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy and even the family therapy. The therapy helps the patient recognize harmful beliefs and actions and to supplant them with helpful and healthy ones. It is pretty sad to ascertain that individuals with this syndrome hardly seek out support and the treatment method is frenzied. It is however worth noticing that NPD is not a so common disorder with an obscure prognosis, diagnosis and treatments which affects a person’s behavior adversely and requires patience to be astounded if exposed in an individual. Conclusion In conclusion, although the personality disorder is often misunderstood and undiagnosed, narcissistic personality disorder is a serious pathology that should be taken seriously. Pathological narcissism normally occurs in a spectrum of severity depending on the affected individual. In its life-threatening forms, it is considered to effect from a person’s belief that they are unsound in a way that makes them fundamentally intolerable to others. References American Psychiatric Association (2000). Personality disorders. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text rev., pp. 706–710. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Markowitz, J.C. (2005). Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing. Millon, T. (2006). Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV-TM and Beyond. New York : John Wiley and Sons. Sperry, L. (1999). Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Cognitive Behavior Therapy of DSM-IV Personality Disorders. Ann Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers. Ronningstam E. (2011). Narcissistic personality disorder: A clinical perspective. Journal of Psychiatric Practice 17,2, 89-99. Read More