Addicted to admiration: Am I a narcissist?

Narcissism is, as such, nothing bad or morbid. Positive narcissism says really only, that you have a stable and affirmative self-esteem. People, living in harmony and a healthy appreciation of themselves, are mostly satisfied, but quite ambitious and goal-oriented characters, can usually work around very well with criticism or setbacks. It is quite different in people with narcissistic personality disorder (NPS), the pathological form of narcissism. Prof.. Dr. Claas-Hinrich Lammers, medical director of psychiatry at Asklepios Hospital in Hamburg Nord, explains this as follows: “One can say, that people with a problematic narcissism have a self-image, that is unrealistic. They have not just lofty goals, but illusory notions of, as well, how significant and how important they are.” Pathological narcissists fail continually selected to reality.

Interpersonal deficits

Affected see other people not to be equivalent and can not be on a par perceive, let alone, treat them well. “Narcissists have great interpersonal deficits,” “so Lammers. “They use different from thinking and, their fellows were just there, to applaud them and admire them.” It becomes difficult for those with a narcissistic personality disorder actually only, if they were not so required by them admiration has for. “Then they react offended, break off contacts or devalue it,” white Prof. Lammers. While positive narcissists can certainly empathize, do not get with pathological narcissists, as other people's. “Sufferers can do anything with it, when you tell them, someone suffers from them. This empathy is totally disturbed by them.” She herself, however, can very well perceive feel hurt and. Minimum criticism is perceived by them as the lowest injury. While narcissists criticize other people so completely solid or sometimes with contempt, they have no understanding, when their opponent reacts angrily snubbed or.

Pathological narcissists notice only rudimentary, that something is wrong with them. Going to the therapist would also mean the concession of their own fallibility. Therapy is thus quasi perceived as an insult. “When sufferers come to therapy, tell them often, that they thought even five years ago, that they are quite magnificent. To their own problems, always had been to blame only the other. Eventually, however, they had reached the point, where all her fantasy castle had collapsed,” so Lammers. Suddenly this void, a sudden feeling of worthlessness and the gnawing self-doubt. In this crisis, these people are often in the therapy. Since it is then up to the skill and empathy of the therapist, the NPS to keep patients in treatment. “There are, of course, a hard core of narcissists, The ads are not all their lives. These are then also to treat not receptive.” As treatments are both the behavioral and the psychodynamic psychotherapy question. These are usually ambulatory and should last at least two years. Medication is the NPS actually treated only in connection with a concomitant psychiatric disorder. “This is relatively common, because most narcissists have very significant depression, a Burnout-Syndrome, a Anxiety disorder or substance dependence. If that goes along with that disease, then one would also mitbehandeln medication. But there is no Drug against narcissism,” gibt Prof. To consider Lammers.

A cure can not speak in terms of the pathological narcissism. But it does not go in therapy also about, the narcissist to turn completely. “One is from a seasoned pathological narcissists not nice, peaceable people make,” said Lammers. “That is not even the goal of therapy. It is also so, that perhaps two-thirds of the personality are perfectly fine. Much distinguishes the narcissist indeed look: Assertiveness and ambition example. And you have to give him too.” The work aims therefore rather out, Behaviors, make life difficult for the patient, change. The aggressive behavior may, but also affect constant lies. In partnerships, narcissists behave extremely dominant and able to perceive the partner neither wholesome nor understand. In therapy, it is then, these people to change these behaviors and thinking patterns so, that it can once again stable life in their communities. Positive narcissists suffer not unlike the NPS affected under such social losses. And the environment suffers not among them. Minded politicians or actors, in the limelight (want) and have success, are assessed according to experience positive narcissistic. Pathological narcissists are however not successful. They usually have a work disruption, can arrive in any structures and are therefore also always in depressive states.

Gender-specific narcissism

Whether there is a difference between the narcissistic disease in women and in men, you can not say so clearly. In females may often comes before the covert narcissism. This means, that narcissistic women look outward rather adapted. You work a lot, try to please everyone and be happy to sacrifice themselves. “If you give them but closer”, said Lammers, “one finds, that they are inwardly convinced of uncorrectable, that everything, what they do, is perfectly correct. So you have clear narcissistic ideals, know this but to hide the outside, simply because they fear criticism.” In men, it was often different: Male narcissists live the fault to the outside world from more.

Would be a gene not Narzismuss, said Lammers. “But there is already a high genetic component.” Other causes of pathological narcissism are looking usually in childhood. There are two patterns, that support this disease. Which is a possibility, that we neglect in childhood, was ignored or even ashamed. Children, have experienced no affection, are not capable of, building a stable self-esteem, she wears. “These children had to this lack of self-esteem always patch masks, provide. Eventually, it is then no longer a self-, but only about the role played, to fantasy and lies. Narcissistic wellbeing can not stabilize, because it always depends on the outside. Who could build in the nuclear family is not a positive self-image, tries to create later.” These people start early outside the family to get recognition and approval. The other way, which can lead to NSP, is completely contrary: Namely, that one has of the original family too much to get unrealistically positive attention. These children have grown up overprotected, always heard only admiration, who has them but gives no reality. This often leads to problems, if these individuals leave the family of origin. They take refuge in narcissistic fantasies, if absent this constant praise should suddenly. Stability and satisfaction is impossible to reach - because these positive states can develop only one, which is in touch with reality.

From:pharmaceutic Umschau