Diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder?!
Question:
Diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Have you been diagnosed with this or know someone who has?
Answers:
At least five of the following are necessary for a diagnosis (as with many DSM diagnoses, they must form a pervasive pattern; for example, a person who shows these criteria only in one or two relationships or situations would not properly be diagnosed with NPD):
has a grandiose sense of self-importance
is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by other special people
requires excessive admiration
strong sense of entitlement
takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
lacks empathy
is often envious or believes others are envious of him or her
arrogant affect.
Some sources suggest that narcissistic personality disorder may be an infantile, defensive personality structure in response to abuse and trauma, usually developing in early childhood or early adolescence. They suggest that narcissistic personality disorder may be a maladaptive defense of the abused child's or adolescent's emotional splitting, resultant cognitive distortions, and negative/hostile worldview.