Narcissistic Personality Disorder Research Paper

650 Words2 Pages

Peoples’ personalities are influenced by their surroundings and life experiences. Personality disorders cause distress and problems for those who have them, and last for a long time. There are many different types of personality disorders –Narcissistic Personality Disorder, also known as NPD, being one of them. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a disorder in which a person has an excessive sense of self-importance.
People with personality disorders such as NPD, have “behavioral patterns that causes them distress or constant problems in their lives” (Parekh). Personality disorder patterns usually begin in the early teenage years or early adulthood. However, they might not be identified until many years later. NPD’s cause is not exactly known. …show more content…

They may look down on people they think as lesser and demand special & constant attention, which – if they do not receive - makes them upset. They demand respect from others without doing anything to achieve it and exaggerate their feats. They lack empathy – they are unwilling to identify with the feelings and needs of others and believe that they are better than most and can be understood only by people on the same level as them. They “take advantage of others to pursue mainly selfish goals” (Berger). Not only that, but they expect “especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations” (BPD). Some symptoms of NPD may seem like features of someone who is confident, but they are not alike. “Narcissistic personality disorder crosses the border of healthy confidence into thinking so highly of yourself that you put yourself on a pedestal and value yourself more than you value others” …show more content…

However, they do say that psychotherapy might have a positive outcome - by helping NPD patients to learn how to relate to others in a way that is more positive, worthwhile, & kind. Psychotherapy is a “general term for treating mental health problems by talking with a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health provider” (Psychotherapy). One thing psychotherapy does is teach the person to have a positive outlook when facing their problems instead of reacting in an arrogant behavior. It can help “understand the causes of your emotions and what drives you to compete, to distrust others, and perhaps to despise yourself and others” (Hall-Flavin). Psychotherapy might also help to lower NPD patients’ exaggerated sense of confidence and self-worth and change their views to be more realistic from what they expect from others when they interact with them. “Areas of change are directed at helping NPD patients to accept responsibility and learning to understand and tolerate the impact of issues related to your self-esteem” (Hall-Flavin). Medication is also given to NPD patients to help lower anxiety and sadness -- a result of having

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