It is not unheard of for people with a narcissistic personality disorder to be unhappy when they don’t receive the special admiration they think they should be given. 

Because of this, a narcissistic personality disorder can cause problems for people with the condition. These problems could range from work to school, to relationships and even finances.

In this article, we will discuss narcissistic personality disorder and the symptoms you should look out for, and the possible treatment. Keep reading

What is a Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

A narcissistic personality disorder is defined as a mental health condition in which a person has an inflated sense of self-importance. This disorder is more commonly found in men than women.

The people with this condition are mostly unhappy and disappointed when they don’t get the special treatment they believe they deserve. The cause of narcissistic personality disorder remains unknown but studies indicate that it likely involves a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Take this: Free Avoidant Personality Disorder Test

Best Narcissistic Personality Disorder Quizzes to Try

1. Formplus Narcissistic personality disorder quiz: Take the narcissistic personality disorder quiz on Formplus to analyze your symptoms. The quiz is easy to understand, and the questions are relatable. It takes an average of 5 minutes to answer and you also obtain automatic feedback after the completion of the quiz. Don’t forget to still visit a medical health professional for a professional opinion.

2. Open psychometrics Narcissistic Personality disorder quiz: The open psychometrics narcissistic test has 40 pairs of statements where you are to select the one that best describes your personality. The test takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

3. Mind diagnostics Narcissistic Personality disorder quiz: Take the narcissistic personality disorder test on mind diagnostics. The test will question all probable symptoms and signs of narcissistic personality disorder.

4. Psych Central Narcissistic Personality disorder quiz: A psych central narcissistic personality disorder quiz can help you find out whether you need an evaluation from a medical health practitioner.  There are 40 statements and it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete the test.

Take this: Schizoid Personality Disorder Test

Traits & Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

The signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder vary the same way the level of severity of symptoms varies from person to person. Some of the symptoms people with the disorder can have include:

• It is very common for people with this condition to have an over the top sense of self-importance
• They may also show signs of an exaggerated sense of entitlement and need for constant, and excessive admiration.
• They want to be seen as superior to others even when they possess zero achievements that warrant it.
• They build fantasies about power, money, beauty, and success.
• They want to associate with people they believe to be in the same social status as them, and they consider special.
• They are condescending towards others that they see as inferior to them.
• They are not willing to recognize the feelings of others and day consciously take advantage of others.
• They have a strong belief that people are envious of them and they are very envious of others.
• They expect to not get questioned about their own realistic expectations and they always want special favor.
• They can be pretentious and they behave in a haughty manner. 
• They cannot handle criticism and they believe they should have the best of everything.
• They have a difficult time regulating their emotions and controlling their behaviors
• They quickly fall into depression and get moody when they feel imperfect.

People with narcissistic personality disorder oftentimes have insecurities, are vulnerable, and also feel a great deal of shame in the secret. They may also be unable to adjust to change.

Take this: Histrionic Personality Disorder Quiz

Therefore, if you notice any symptoms or signs of narcissistic personality disorder in you or in someone you know you should ensure that they see a doctor as soon as possible. This is important because people with this condition tend to believe that anything could be wrong and so they don’t go for a checkup or get treatment.

Seeking the help of a professional mental health practitioner will help to determine if the symptoms they are experiencing are for depression or another mental health challenge. But if they refuse to go to the hospital there might be no way to find out.

Types and Subtypes of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Theodore Millon suggested that there are about five subtypes of narcissists in 1996. Here are the five subtypes: 

1. Unprincipled narcissists: These types of narcissists are as arrogant as they are fraudulent. They are also unscrupulous, disloyal, deceptive, and exploitative. 
2. Amorous narcissists: They are narcissists that always act in a sexually seductive way, have hedonistic desires, and are always trying to entice others. People with this type of narcissistic personality disorder commonly have many affairs with exotic partners.
3. Compensatory narcissists: They try to bury the deep feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem by creating an illusion of being admirable and superior. 
4. Elitist narcissist: People in this category feel special childhood status and pseudo-achievements. They are after a good life and getting special favors. They also build special associations and take advantage of them.
5. Normal narcissists: They are the most empathetic and interpersonally concerned, yet entitled and dislike reciprocity. They are self-confident, competitive, and seek recognition from others.

Explore: How to Create Personality Quizzes using Forms (+ 20 Examples for Quiz Builders)

Causes of Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

As common with other personality disorders, narcissistic personality disorder also has no known cause. Research suggests that the cause may be complex and can be linked to the environment and genetics.

The environment a child grows up in can trigger this disorder if there is a mismatch in the relationship between the child and the parents or the teachers as regards receiving excessive criticism or excessive adoration. The other is genetics could be because of inherited traits.

It is possible for some children to show some traits of narcissism however this may be because of their current age and they likely may not have narcissistic personality disorder in their adulthood. So some scientists believe that even though the actual cause of narcissistic personality disorder is not known it could be as a result of parenting style being overprotective or because of genes or neurobiology.

Explore: Dissociative Identity Disorder: Quiz, Symptoms & Effects

How Narcissistic Personality Disorder Affects Students and Other Adults

According to research, students with subclinical narcissism and great self-esteem tend to be tougher mentally which in turn, leads to better academic results. However, students and other adults suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder may be manipulative of others and hard to please.

Also, other people may suffer narcissistic abuse from this condition. People who suffer long-term abuse from narcissistic people have a shorter attention span and have a hard time making decisions. and tend to have a shorter attention span. 

Another impact of narcissism is that while the person on the receiving end of the abuse may not understand why they are treated poorly, a narcissist knows how their actions affect others but do not care. People with narcissistic personality disorder also fall into depression while not taking self-care seriously.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder vs Psychopathy

One important rule of thumb is that you should view all psychopaths as narcissistic but not every narcissist is a psychopath. So, while people with narcissistic personality disorder have self-esteem problems and feel insecure, a psychopath simply doesn’t care about anything.

Although people with narcissistic personality disorder can pull every other person down so as to feel better or superior, they are still capable of feeling guilt and shame. A psychopath on the other hand does not feel any remorse and has no concern about who gets hurt.

A psychopath does not care about empathy or what could be the consequences of their actions. Psychopaths are cunning and calculative.

Learn about: Histrionic Personality Disorder: Quiz, Definition & Symptoms

How to Deal with a Narcissist

The most important thing to note is to first see narcissistic people for who they really are. They can be extremely charming and offer grand ideas at work but don’t be surprised if you find them manipulating or disrespecting others.

Also, understand that your needs and wants are not important to a narcissistic person. So how can you deal with someone with a narcissistic personality disorder?

• Stop focusing on them or on what they do. Narcissistic people love attention, they like to be in the spotlight, so stop paying attention to them and focus on yourself. Do not think they would change with time because they wouldn’t.
• Learn to speak up for yourself. Narcissistic people rely on your silence when they manipulate or lie to you. Also, try to approach things in a calm manner. Learn to ignore the squirms sometimes, but do not fail to address how the actions of the person are impacting your life.
• Don’t blame yourself: Understand that a narcissistic person would act the way they desire without taking into account the other person so do not put the responsibility of their actions on yourself.
• Have clear boundaries: People with narcissistic personality disorder believe they are entitled to go anywhere or snoop around other people’s personal belongings. They also try to tell others how they should feel and react. They often cross boundaries even without knowing it. Hence, you must be clear about what you are okay with and what is unacceptable.
• Do not forget that people with a narcissistic personality disorder may need help: People with narcissistic personality disorder mostly refuse to see a problem in their behavior and need to see a medical health professional. However, you can suggest they try to visit the hospital or join a support group because narcissistic personality disorder is associated with other conditions such as alcohol and substance abuse, depression e.t.c

Treatment for Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Unfortunately, because the primary cause of narcissistic personality disorder has not been discovered, it has been very hard to determine how best to combat the disorder. However, a study has shown that the best treatment for narcissistic personality disorder is talk therapy or psychotherapy.

If you are taking the psychotherapy treatment for narcissistic personality disorder, you can expect the therapy to help you understand what causes the change in your emotions and behavior. You will also learn how best you can relate with others.

Another reason why it is best to visit a mental health professional for treatment is so that you can get medication in case there are other mental health conditions. These other conditions may be depression or anxiety.

Talk therapy will also help you to recognize your potential, increase your tolerance and also help to reduce your desire for unattainable goals. It is important that you encourage anyone with the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder to get help in the form of short-term therapy that will help them manage their stress and achieve their goals. 

It is also important to have a strong support system in regard to family members or close friends.

Conclusion

The environment a child grows up in may have a huge influence on how the child views the world and also trigger the development of entitlement, unrealistic self-views, and impaired autonomy found in narcissists. It is important that children are properly looked after and parents should be vigilant so as not to miss any probable signs of narcissism from childhood or leave them undiagnosed.

Finally, if you know someone who exhibits signs of narcissism, try to suggest they visit a medical health professional for diagnosis and possible treatment.