What is NPD?
On the whole, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a mental ailment, whereby a person would have an exaggerated idea of his/her own importance, which makes him/her very needful of other people's admiration. In actuality, because of their excessive desire to be admired, we can say that people with NPD require “adulation”. From their point of view, they are far more superior than anyone else; thus, they tend to be lacking in empathy toward others. Ironically, this inflated sense of superiority characterizing them really stems from having a very vulnerable self-esteem. As it turns out, the extremely confident image they project is simply a facade to mask the fragile person within who is excessively sensitive to criticisms. In other people's point of view, however, a person with NPD would come across as being overly conceited. They would usually think he/she is a braggart who is prone to being too pretentious. So it stands to reason that others would tend to avoid getting involved with people who have NPD.
Because it is a personality disorder, NPD can impede an afflicted person's social life. Oftentimes, it can cause troubles in his/her personal relationships. A typical trait defining a real narcissist—a person riddled with NPD—would be an exaggeratedly emotional behavior similar to those with HPD(histrionic personality disorder). Treating an NPD patient would centralize on psychotherapy. Nevertheless, if he or she is also experiencing depression and/or anxiety, remedies in the form of the best antidepressant to address the condition/s would be prescribed by his/her respective doctors.
Similar to some other personality disorders, the real cause of NPD is both complex and a mystery. There are evidences connecting it to a dysfunctional childhood characterized by over-pampering or spoiling, sky high expectations, abandonment, and/or abuse. On the other hand, it is said to be also due to genetic factors.
Identifying the real narcissist
Common indications of a person with NPD would be the following:
Having the belief that he/she is superior and far better than everyone else
Indulging in fantasies involving success, attractiveness, and power
A tendency to exaggerate one's accomplishment or abilities
Having a constant expectation to be admired or praised by others
Seriously believing that one is extra ordinary
Inability to tell how other people think or feel
A lack of empathy
Displaying berating behavior toward those he/she thinks are inferior to him/her
Feeling jealous toward other people
Believing that other people are jealous of him/her
Difficulty in maintaining good relationships
Emotional detachment
Very weak self-esteem
Extreme sensitivity to criticisms