Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements. Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are. Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate. Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people.
Typically, if you're really, truly a narcissist, you probably won't really know or be able to recognize that you are one. And if you do realize that you're pretty self-centered, you might not think that there's anything wrong with that.
It's important to know that NPD occurs on a spectrum, and many narcissists don't actively seek to abuse and hurt others. Many are entirely unaware that their efforts to meet their own needs are actually harmful to others.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that most narcissists are actually aware that they are narcissists, but rather than see it as a problem, they embrace it and take pride in it. (Of course.) However, a self-aware narcissist can get help through psychotherapy, if they are willing to do it.
An exaggerated sense of self-importance
Having a grandiose sense of self-importance is a defining characteristic of NPD. People with NPD have a sense of superiority over others. It is not always obvious that someone with NPD feels superior to others.
That's because, in my experience, people who actually have Narcissistic Personality Disorder or a narcissistic style rarely wonder or worry about their narcissism. Narcissists generally: Have little interest in introspection. Wouldn't want to know, or even care, that they might be narcissistic.
Seek Therapy
Therapy can help you with your narcissism, but therapy can also address other co-occurring issues that often coincide with narcissistic personality disorder. For example, it's common for narcissists to struggle with: Depression. Anxiety.
Only a licensed mental health professional can diagnose NPD. People often complain that I do not realize that they are upset, or that I otherwise ignore or disregard their feelings.
People with NPD have a grandiose sense of self. They typically feel like they're important — and often more important than others. They commonly seek out attention and aim to be the center of everyone's attention, often putting themselves before others. But at its core, NPD is defined by a lack of empathy for others.
They may worry that they are self-centered or lack empathy. They may fear that they truly think they are better than everyone else or that they are somehow superior to others, and worry that they could do terrible things as a result.
Controlling everything: “Narcissists often feel the need to control everything," Schechter says. "They constantly need to feel superior and put down the people around them." A narcissistic person isn't constantly staring in the mirror. Rather, they are ignoring their partner's needs and lacking empathy.
“To what extent do you agree with this statement: 'I am a narcissist.'” Scientists believe that this question could be all researchers need to make a quick and easy diagnosis of narcissism.
The cause is likely complex. Narcissistic personality disorder may be linked to: Environment — parent-child relationships with either too much adoration or too much criticism that don't match the child's actual experiences and achievements. Genetics — inherited characteristics, such as certain personality traits.
While narcissistic personality disorder, sometimes known as NPD, is treatable, recovery requires patience and time. If a loved one suffers from this condition, encouraging them to seek professional treatment is the most effective way to help them begin to overcome its damaging effects.
While it may be possible for a narcissist to develop feelings of love towards someone else, they struggle to maintain lasting relationships due to their lack of empathy and tendency towards selfishness.
The female narcissist typically needs a lot of validation, praise, and reassurance from her friends, family, and lovers, which betrays her underlying insecurities. Without this validation, she may become jealous, upset, moody, brooding, or experience emotional outbursts.
Both are dysfunctional and weighed down by a history of personal failure on the job and in the family. But the narcissist is ego-dystonic: he is proud and happy of who he is. The anxious patient is distressed and is looking for help and a way out of his or her predicament.
They physically abuse pets.
If a narcissist's dog has urinated on the carpet while the narcissist was out, the narcissist sees it as a personal affront—even though the narcissist left the dog alone for 12 hours. The narcissist then hits the dog and calls it names. The dog learns to fear the narcissist.
Apologize. If you've heard someone say, “Narcissists never apologize,” they're not exactly right. While many traits of narcissism like entitlement, elitism, and arrogance make it unlikely someone with narcissistic traits will go the apology route, apologies are sometimes used with ulterior motives.
People with narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD, are “ so addicted to feeling special that they lie, steal, cheat, and do whatever it takes in order to get their high,” says Malkin. But the form in which narcissism can present itself also varies, says Malkin.
Empaths empathize with people, understand their struggles, and want to be there for them. Narcissists, by contrast, often think highly of themselves and have a sense of grandiosity, believing that they are better than everyone else. They often act as if they deserve admiration and respect without having to give it out.