| What is the Difference between Healthy | | | | Comorbidity and Differential Diagnoses |
| Narcissism and the Pathological Kind? What is the | | | | Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is often |
| Difference between Healthy Narcissism and the | | | | diagnosed with other mental health disorders |
| Pathological Kind? | | | | ("co-morbidity"), such as mood disorders, eating |
| In my book "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism | | | | disorders, and substance-related disorders. |
| Revisited", I define pathological narcissism as: | | | | Patients with Narcissistic Personality Disorder |
| "(A) life-long pattern of traits and behaviors which | | | | (NPD) are frequently abusive and prone to |
| signify infatuation and obsession with one's self to | | | | impulsive and reckless behaviours ("dual diagnosis"). |
| the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and | | | | The comorbidity of Narcissistic Personality |
| ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance | | | | Disorder (NPD) with other personality disorders, |
| and ambition." | | | | such as the Histrionic, Borderline, Paranoid, and |
| Luckily for us, we are all narcissists to some | | | | Antisocial Personality Disorders, is high. |
| degree. But healthy narcissism is adaptive, flexible, | | | | Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is often |
| empathic, causes elation and joy (happiness), and | | | | misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder (the manic |
| help us to function. Pathological narcissism is | | | | phase), Asperger's Disorder, or Generalized |
| maladaptive, rigid, persisting, and causes significant | | | | Anxiety Disorder - and vice versa. |
| distress, and functional impairment. | | | | Though the personal styles of patients with |
| Prevalence and Age and Gender Features | | | | Cluster B personality disorders resemble each |
| According to the DSM IV-TR, Narcissistic | | | | other, they also substantially differ. The narcissist |
| Personality Disorder (NPD) is diagnosed in between | | | | is grandiose, the histrionic coquettish, the antisocial |
| 2% and 16% of the population in clinical settings | | | | (psychopath) callous, and the borderline needy. |
| (between 0.5-1% of the general population). The | | | | From my book, "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism |
| DSM-IV-TR proceeds to tell us that most | | | | Revisited": |
| narcissists (50-75% of all patients) are men. | | | | "As opposed to patients with the Borderline |
| We must carefully distinguish between the | | | | Personality Disorder, the self-image of the |
| narcissistic traits of adolescents - narcissism is an | | | | narcissist is stable, he or she are less impulsive |
| integral part of their healthy personal development | | | | and less self-defeating or self-destructive and less |
| - and the full-fledge disorder. Adolescence is about | | | | concerned with abandonment issues (not as |
| self-definition, differentiation, separation from one's | | | | clinging). |
| parents, and individuation. These inevitably involve | | | | Contrary to the histrionic patient, the narcissist is |
| narcissistic assertiveness which is not to be | | | | achievements-orientated and proud of his or her |
| conflated or confused with Narcissistic Personality | | | | possessions and accomplishments. Narcissists also |
| Disorder (NPD). | | | | rarely display their emotions as histrionics do and |
| "The lifetime prevalence rate of NPD is | | | | they hold the sensitivities and needs of others in |
| approximately 0.5-1 percent; however, the | | | | contempt. |
| estimated prevalence in clinical settings is | | | | According to the DSM-IV-TR, both narcissists and |
| approximately 2-16 percent. Almost 75 percent of | | | | psychopaths are "tough-minded, glib, superficial, |
| individuals diagnosed with NPD are male (APA, | | | | exploitative, and unempathic". But narcissists are |
| DSM IV-TR 2000)." | | | | less impulsive, less aggressive, and less deceitful. |
| From the Abstract of Psychotherapeutic | | | | Psychopaths rarely seek narcissistic supply. As |
| Assessment and Treatment of Narcissistic | | | | opposed to psychopaths, few narcissists are |
| Personality Disorder By Robert C. Schwartz,Ph.D., | | | | criminals. |
| DAPA and Shannon D. Smith, Ph.D., DAPA | | | | Patients suffering from the range of |
| (American Psychotherapy Association, Article | | | | obsessive-compulsive disorders are committed to |
| #3004 Annals July/August 2002) | | | | perfection and believe that only they are capable |
| However, as the narcissist grows old and suffers | | | | of attaining it. But, as opposed to narcissists, they |
| the inevitable attendant physical, mental, and | | | | are self-critical and far more aware of their own |
| occupational restrictions, Narcissistic Personality | | | | deficiencies, flaws, and shortcomings." |
| Disorder (NPD) is exacerbated. | | | | Bibliography |
| Studies have not demonstrated any ethnic, social, | | | | Goldman, Howard H., Review of General |
| cultural, economic, genetic, or professional | | | | Psychiatry, fourth edition, 1995. Prentice-Hall |
| predilection or susceptibility to the Narcissistic | | | | International, London. |
| Personality Disorder (NPD). | | | | Gelder, Michael, Gath, Dennis, Mayou, Richard, |
| Still, Robert Milman suggested a condition that he | | | | Cowen, Philip (eds.), Oxford Textbook of |
| labeled "Acquired Situational Narcissism". He | | | | Psychiatry, third edition, 1996, reprinted 2000. |
| observed a transient and reactive form of the | | | | Oxford University Press, Oxford. |
| Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) in certain | | | | Vaknin, Sam, Malignant Self Love - Narcissism |
| situations, such as under constant public scrutiny | | | | Revisited, seventh revised impression, 1999-2006. |
| and exposure. | | | | Narcissus Publications, Prague and Skopje. |