Narcissism is when a person believes in his own strengths and prioritizes his own needs, sometimes even at the expense of others. These trends may be mild or contextual, or they can become apparent in most cases and continue to exist over time.
When narcissistic states and behaviors last for a long time in multiple areas of your life, or when you exaggerate your sense of self-worth and lack of public sentiment towards others, it can lead to narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
What is narcissism?
Narcissism refers to a feeling of self-importance. It can be seen as a personality trait in which most people live to some extent.
on the one hand is what some people call "healthy narcissism", which is considered a positive self-awareness, usually associated with greater interests, said Professor Rong Xinqi, a psychologist at the new concept.
"Simply put, this healthy narcissism can be understood as a manifestation of self-confidence. And people with this healthy narcissism can balance high self-esteem with prosocial behaviors that promote dynamics of reciprocating relationships," he explained.
For example, in a job interview, you can confidently want the interviewer to explain previous achievements and honors, so that your chances of getting a new job will increase. However, you may not deny that some of these achievements are the result of team efforts.
On the other hand, narcissism can negatively affect the way you see yourself and the world, and it can also lead to you experiencing contradictions and great pain in your relationships. When this condition persists for a long time in your life, it can cause you to develop narcissistic personality disorder.
In short, healthy narcissism is beneficial within the scope of self-interest.
Also, if you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may find that the most serious narcissistic behaviors can affect every aspect of your life. "It is characterized by authoritarianism, jealousy, exaggeration, superficiality, and a lack of empathy and remorse. It tends to serve individuals and has little or no respect for the greater good," Professor Rong said.
For example, during a job interview, you may belittle your previous employer, beautify or exaggerate your qualifications and achievements, or make promises you cannot fulfill, etc.
What is narcissistic personality disorder?
Narcissistic personality disorder is a formal psychological disorder in the text revised version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR).
It is a complex personality disorder that is often misunderstood. The basic characteristic is the exaggeration of the sense of self-worth. Paradoxically, under this arrogance, narcissists often experience a fragile low self-esteem for a long time, but because the arrogance of the narcissist is always everywhere, we tend to dehumanize it.
Regarding the clinical diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, a clinician or psychological counselor will discuss whether the patient has at least 5 common formal symptoms in different situations, and the duration is more than 6 months.
These symptoms will affect the patient's interpersonal relationships, occupations, sense of identity and lifestyle, etc. Whether the patient realizes it or not, they can cause great trouble.
Some common symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder are:
1. The reaction to criticism is anger, shame, or shame (although it may not be revealed immediately).
2. Like to instruct others and ask others to serve themselves.
3. Excessively arrogant and exaggerate your talents, hoping to attract special attention.
4. I firmly believe that the issues he is concerned about are unique in the world and cannot be understood by some special characters.
5. Have immaterial fantasies about infinite success, power, honor, beauty or ideal love.
6. Think that you should enjoy privileges that others do not have.
7. Desire for lasting attention and praise.
8. Lack of compassion.
9. Have a strong sense of jealousy.
10. Difficulties in intimate relationships, (marriage relationship, parent-child relationship, etc.).
As long as 5 of the above symptoms occur, you can diagnose it as narcissistic personality disorder.
Narcissistic characteristics and narcissistic symptoms
Personality traits involves thoughts and behavior patterns that may be manifested in different situations. Narcissistic traits may appear at work, for example, when you believe that you are the best on the team and act like it.
Narcissistic symptoms may affect your quality of life as they occur in most cases. Only trained mental health professionals and clinical psychologists can accurately diagnose narcissistic personality disorder or identify narcissistic traits.
Apart from the list of main symptoms, these are other differences between narcissistic and narcissistic personality disorder:
1. Accountability
The fundamental difference between having narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder is that people with narcissistic personality disorder may not be responsible for their actions, while people with narcissistic characteristics may be able to recognize and feel guilty and ashamed when hurting the person they care about.
2. Relationship Stable
Studies have shown that people with narcissistic personalities may use manipulation strategies and methods to get others to do what they want.
"This relationship usually has an exploitative component, and it can happen in any relationship dynamics - romance, family, workplace," Professor Rong said. When someone is no longer considered useful or could be a threat, people with narcissistic personality disorder may quickly abandon them.
On the other hand, “A person with narcissistic traits may refuse to admit mistakes or accept constructive criticism but does have the ability to do so, although in some cases limited,” he explains.
3. Background and duration
"Another difference between narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic characteristics is that for narcissistic personality disorder, the symptoms must be manifested in most areas of a person's life and remain stable over time," said Professor Rong. However, the characteristics of narcissism may only appear in certain situations or in certain situations.
Will narcissism become a narcissistic personality disorder?
Everyone's situation is different.
Your personal narcissistic characteristics may be subtle or depend on the environment you are in. For example, you can work hard to succeed in your work in any way necessary while still being able to accept constructive criticism from friends and family. This is an example of the gray area.
Professor Rong said that in this way, narcissism may not necessarily develop into narcissistic personality disorder. “Narcissistic personality disorder is a long-standing psychological disorder, and the symptoms can be seen in childhood or adolescence, but it is not confirmed until that time,” he explains.
When will you seek help?
Professor Rong said that the characteristics of narcissism can have a negative impact on a person's life, depending on its severity.
If someone has narcissistic personality disorder, it may not be that obvious for them to need help.
"Recognizing the necessity of psychotherapy, psychological intervention can be difficult because there is usually a deep-rooted belief that they are special," he explained. “Refusing to take responsibility for behavior or accepting personal defects or places that require improvement.”
But if you or your loved one recognizes the need for psychotherapy, trying hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help you, Professor Rong said.
"It is important to ask for help from a professional psychologist, counselor or therapist; and it is also helpful to learn skills to build empathy , such as diary and identifying emotions," he added.
Reference materials:
·Aslinger EN et al. (2019).Narcissist or narcissist? Assessment of the underlying structure of narcissistic personality disorder.
··Dashineau SE et al. (2019). Sick narcissism and psychosocial function.
··Foster JD et al. (2018). Narcissism and romantic relationships.
·Grapsas S et al. (2020). The "why" and "how" of narcissism: a process model of the pursuit of narcissistic state.
·Mitra P et al. (2021). Narcissistic personality disorder.
··Nanadic I et al. (2021). Narcissistic personality traits and prefrontal structure.
·Rogozo R et al. (2018). The light, darkness and blue of narcissism: The relationship between the spectrum of narcissism and the regular network of personality, self-esteem and shyness, loneliness and empathy.
