Narcissism articles

Pathological Narcissism is a well-known disorder that can often be misunderstood or can come with all sorts of perceptions that may not be accurate. While many thinks they know someone with it or know the traits, that is often not the case. There are certain attributes that make those that suffer from it stand out. The most common being grandiosity.

Grandiosity is found in most cases of Pathological Narcissism and is usually the first thing people around them notice. What this means is that the Narcissist is usually extravagant and pretentious and creates an image that may not be accrete to who they really are. This behaviour is often paired with extreme ambitious ideas and plans that may not be realistically achievable for them. They also tend to fantasise about megalomaniacal delusions of greatness and splendour which allows them to build upon their already fanatical perception of power and importance, for instance; they deserve special treatment and can out achieve others.

Having this confidence and false truth as their reality means that when their ‘narcissistic supply’ (the attention they get and feed off) is low they tend to act out in a variety of ways that often take the shape of small psychotic episodes. The point of this is that it gives them attention and for a narcissist any attention benefits them whether it be negative or positive. These episodes can also occur when they have therapy where they feel like they are in a life crisis as the narrative they have created and built themselves upon has been questioned.

The biggest speculation around pathological narcissism is as to whether they can ‘go over the edge’ or if they ever become psychotic. In order to answer this, it first must be understood what these words mean.

• Psychosis: The DSM-IV-TR defines it as “delusions and hallucinations occur in the absence of awareness of their persistent nature”.
• Delusions: A false belief that is based on an incorrect view that persists despite those around them telling them differently and having evidence to prove it
• Hallucinations: Is a sensory perception that changes one’s reality and occurs without external stimulation.

Now, though technically their behaviour can be seen as delusional as they hold a thin grasp on reality, believe their own imaginary experiences, fail notice their own chronic nature and fail to know where their original thoughts began; they are not technically delusional. This is because they don’t hallucinate or have disorganised, chaotic behaviour which are the common symptoms of delusion.

It is due to this lack of delusion and hallucination that hey cannot be deemed as psychotic or meet the requirements for ‘diminished responsibility’ (the insanity plea in court). People that suffer from Pathological Narcissism aren’t separate from the world, like those with psychosis who tend to retreat and become dysfunctional, they know the difference between right and wrong, true and false and the real and fake. While those with psychosis often ‘lose their minds’, those who suffer from Pathological Narcissism tend to gently self-deceive themselves.

Despite sufferers from Pathological Narcissism being able to tell the difference between the truth and the fable, they tend to choose their made-up reality over that of the real world. Having this false reality helps build up the image they attempt to portray and give them confidence in what they perceive. They stay in completely in control of their own lives but can manipulate those around them to give validity to their made-up perception of themselves. They tend to have chameleon like abilities where they adapt to the situation and the environment their in to gain the most attention and top up their ‘narcissist supply’. The delusions they hold tend not to dissolve when they’re met with opposition but rather, turn to those who support and agree with them, allowing them to reinforce their false self. If this fails, they tend to modify themselves and ‘play it by ear’. This sort of behaviour is common amongst Pathological Narcissist as they continually reconstruct themselves and build upon the feedback they’ve received, allowing them to get even more attention and admiration.

The best way to explain this sum it up, is to see the person with pathological narcissism as a performer who wants to be loved by everyone and have the most attention. In order to do this they adapt, change and manipulate who they are and gain more support and love in the process. However, having this changing personality and desperate desire for attention means they tend not to have great loyalty to anyone, have fixed friends or any real values. The only thing they’re truly focused on is their addiction to human attention, positive or negative.

The divide between psychosis and extreme Pathological Narcissism like is large and the two cannot be seen as the same thing. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a sense of manipulation and believing ones on thoughts when it comes to Pathological Narcissism. The difference is while those with psychosis can’t control it, those with Pathological Narcissism are constantly in control.

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