Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is characterized by unrealistic feelings of superiority, excessive need for admiration and a little ability to empathise with others.

The Myth of Narcissus 

The term narcissist comes from a book named Metamorphoses Book III which was written by a Roman poet Ovid in 8 A.D. The book is about two main characters, one of which was Narcissus. In the book, Narcissus falls in love with his own reflection in the pool of water. Havelock Hills was the first psychologist to use the term Narcissism for the condition of one of his patients.

Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM 5) the main symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder are

  * Exaggerated sense if Self importance 

* Fantasies of being the most successful, powerful , beautiful, etc.

* Belief of being special or unique/ having sense of superiority

*Needing excessive admiration

*Being arrogant

* Lacking empathy

* Achieving thier goals on the cost of others

*Secretly feeling inferior or insecure

*Being angry when not treated special

*Having difficulty regulating emotions

In the process of diagnosis, professionals often ask the clients to describe people emotionally close to them , extreme arrogance or lack of empathy hints towards Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It is very unlikely for people with NPD to seek help because them accepting that they may have problems shatters their illusion of perfection.

Causes

There are no specific causes of Narcissistic Personality Disorder but it could be linked with:-

1.Genes

Evidences suggest that there are chances of inheriting NPD through genetics.

 

2. Environment

Bad parenting in which the child is either excessively admired or criticised may result in NPD. 

3. Neurobiology

NPD may also occur when there are abnormalities in the brain of an invidual. 

 

Prevention

There is no proven or 100% effective way to prevent Narcissistic Personality Disorder however if an invidual is suffering from NPD, it is best to seek treatment immediately. 

If you or anyoney you know are suffering from any kind of mental problems then please seek help and approach a professional.