Website design By BotEap.comA pattern of traits and behaviors that signify infatuation and obsession with oneself to the exclusion of all others and the selfish and ruthless pursuit of one’s own gratification, dominance and ambition.

Website design By BotEap.comThe majority of narcissists (50-75%, according to DSM IV-TR) are male.

Website design By BotEap.comNarcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is one of a “family” of personality disorders (known as “Cluster B”). Other members of Group B are the borderline PD, the antisocial PD, and the histrionic PD.

Website design By BotEap.comNPD is often diagnosed with other mental health disorders (“comorbidity”), or with substance abuse and reckless, impulsive behaviors (“dual diagnosis”).

Website design By BotEap.comNPD is a new mental health category (1980) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

Website design By BotEap.comThere is little research on narcissism. But what is there has not demonstrated any ethnic, social, cultural, economic, genetic or professional predilection for the NPD.

Website design By BotEap.comIt is estimated that 0.7-1% of the general population suffers from NPD.

Website design By BotEap.comPathological narcissism was first described in detail by Freud. Other major contributors are: Klein, Horney, Kohut, Kernberg, Millon, Roningstam, Gunderson, Hare.

Website design By BotEap.comThe onset of narcissism is in infancy, childhood, and early adolescence. It is commonly attributed to childhood abuse and trauma inflicted by parents, authority figures, or even peers.

Website design By BotEap.comThere is a whole range of narcissistic reactions, from mild, reactive and transient to permanent personality disorder.

Website design By BotEap.comThe narcissistic supply is external attention, usually positive (flattery, affirmation, fame, celebrity), used by the narcissist to regulate his shaky sense of self-worth.

Website design By BotEap.comNarcissists are either “cerebral” (they derive their narcissistic supply from their intelligence or academic achievements) or “somatic” (they derive their narcissistic supply from their physique, exercise, physical or sexual prowess, and romantic or physical “conquests”).

Website design By BotEap.comNarcissists are either “classic” (see definition below) or they are “compensatory” or “inverted” (see definitions here: “The Inverted Narcissist”).

Website design By BotEap.comThe classic narcissist is self-assured, the compensatory narcissist covers up in his haughty demeanor a deep-seated deficit in self-esteem, and the inverted type is a codependent who meets the emotional needs of a classic narcissist.

Website design By BotEap.comNPD is treated in talk therapy (psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioral). The prognosis for an adult narcissist is poor, although their adjustment to life and to others may improve with treatment. Medication is applied to side effects and behaviors (such as mood or affective disorders and obsession-compulsion), usually with some success.

Website design By BotEap.comThe American Psychiatric Association, headquartered in Washington DC, USA, publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), 2000.

Website design By BotEap.comClick here to read the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Website design By BotEap.comThe international equivalent of the DSM is the ICD-10, Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, published by the World Health Organization in Geneva (1992).

Website design By BotEap.comClick here to read the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Website design By BotEap.comThe DSM defines NPD as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a need for admiration or flattery, and a lack of empathy, usually beginning in early adulthood and present in various contexts.”

Website design By BotEap.comThe ICD considers NPD to be “a personality disorder that does not fit any of the specific rubrics.” It relegates it to the category “Other Specific Personality Disorders” along with eccentric, “haltlose”, immature, passive-aggressive and psychoneurotic personality types and disorders.

Website design By BotEap.comThe DSM specifies nine diagnostic criteria. For NPD to be diagnosed, five (or more) of these criteria must be met.

Website design By BotEap.com(In the text below, I have proposed modifications to the language of these criteria to incorporate current knowledge about this disorder. My modifications appear in bold and italics.)

Website design By BotEap.com(My amendments do not constitute part of the text of DSM-IV-TR, nor is the American Psychiatric Association (APA) associated with them in any way.)

Website design By BotEap.comClick here to download a bibliography of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) studies and research on which I based my review proposals.

Website design By BotEap.comProposed Modified Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Website design By BotEap.comFeels grandiose and conceited (eg, exaggerates achievements, talents, skills, contacts, and personality traits to the point of lying, demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievement);

Website design By BotEap.comHe is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unmatched brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, eternal, all-conquering love or passion;

Website design By BotEap.comFirmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood, should only be treated or associated with other special or unique or high-status people (or institutions);

Website design By BotEap.comRequires excessive admiration, flattery, attention, and affirmation or, failing that, wants to be feared and notorious (narcissistic supply);

Website design By BotEap.comHe feels entitled. Demands full and automatic compliance with your unreasonable expectations of special and favorable priority treatment;

Website design By BotEap.comHe is “interpersonally exploitative”, that is, he uses others to achieve his own ends;

Website design By BotEap.comDevoid of empathy. Cannot or will not identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others;

Website design By BotEap.comConstantly envious of others and seeks to hurt or destroy the objects of his frustration. He suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions because he believes that he feels the same way about him or her and is likely to act in a similar way;

Website design By BotEap.comBehaving arrogantly and arrogantly. He feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, “above the law” and omnipresent (magical thinking). Gets angry when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he or she considers inferior and unworthy.