Narcissism was defined by the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMIV) in 2013, in terms of significant impairments in personality functioning, as “looking excessively to others for the regulation of self-esteem, viewing oneself exceptional, having impaired empathy, and having mostly superficial relationships and the personality traits of grandiosity and attention-seeking.” So, narcissism is when a person looks at those people who are around him/her and tries to criticize those people in order to make his/her self-esteem higher and in order to believe that he/she is better than all the others. Narcissism is creating a world of one’s own in which the environment rotates around one’s self and is given its importance depending on what value the narcissist person decides to give it. Narcissism was first identified as a mental disorder by Havelock Ellis in 1898. The personality disorder is named after the mythological word Narcissus. Narcissus was a person who fell in love with his own reflection. So, all the definitions come together as one to define what falling in love with one’s own person at an extreme level can cause and how it affects the way in which a person thinks and sees his/her environment. Narcissism is normally associated with the personality characteristic of egocentrism in which people see themselves, their interests and their opinions as the only ones that truly matter and isolate their opinions from whatever everyone else thinks. The exact causes for narcissism are not known but researchers have discovered that certain narcissistic genes can be inherited but they can only be developed depending on the biological vulnerability of a person and the sociocultural factors or the environment where a person lives in.
The etiology of the narcissistic personality disorder can be biological (genetic), cognitive and sociocultural as well. The three of them have an impact in creating and developing a narcissist person.
Most people believe that genetics have nothing to do with a person who becomes a narcissist because most people are not born with a certain personality but they create their personality as they grow and live their lives. Nevertheless, researchers have proven all of these people wrong because they have found that narcissism can be a common inherited trait. Researchers have studied the effect of genetics in the narcissistic personality disorder by looking at both twin studies and examination of the human genome. According to a study in 2007 that was published in the International Journal of Neuropsycopharmacology, it was found that the specific gene called tryptophan hydroxylase-2 can cause certain personality disorders, including narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This gene mainly regulates the production of serotonin in the brain and that is the reason why it is able to change the mood and way of being of a person. Livesley et al carried out a study with 175 volunteer twin pairs (ninety identical and eighty-five fraternal), in which each twin had to complete a questionnaire about some characteristics of a personality disorder. In this study, the researchers were able to find that narcissism had the highest heritability with 64% and that this trait in the identical twins was significantly influenced by genetics. So, genetic factors can play a significant role in whether a person has NPD or not.
NPD is influenced as well by the cognitive factors which include the factors from the mind and brain. Normally, when determining the causes of NPD, cognitive and sociocultural factors clash into each other to create this personality disorder. In the International Handbook of Personality and Intelligence by Donald H. Saklofske, the cognitive problem in NPD is defined as the lost of balance in the process when “incoming information has to be narrowed down and irrelevant information selectively excluded, a process that is postulated to occur through a balancing of facilitatory processing of task-relevant stimuli and the inhibition of task-irrelevant ones (page 240).” So the process that is being described is that of incoming information or all of those interactions with the environment that has to be narrowed down in the brain to create who a person is, but if there is not a balance between the facilitator of determining what tasks are relevant and which ones are irrelevant, then the person will show a vulnerability in his/her mind and will tend to react in a narcissist way so that every information coming from him/her is relevant and that coming from others is irrelevant most of the times. Many researchers suggest that NPD is caused because of childhood experiences that a person suffered such as very high expectations from nurturing (for example parents), over-pampering, neglect, and even abuse. According to researchers, the way in which some people respond to all of these situations is by hating all of those around them because of what they have done to them and by isolating in a world of their own in which everything they think and do is right to them and they have no empathy to those around them. This response is normally prevalent with children that have a vulnerable mind that is easily affected with what other people say and think of them. The only solution at times seems to be isolating and loving themselves to an extreme in order for them to be happy without needing all of the other serious interactions with those around them; that is why they have superficial relationships. Therefore, cognitive and sociocultural factors are very important to understand NPD because of how the brain/mind of a person responds to the way in which he/she is being treated and how this relationship shapes the personality of the person.
Most people believe that genetics have nothing to do with a person who becomes a narcissist because most people are not born with a certain personality but they create their personality as they grow and live their lives. Nevertheless, researchers have proven all of these people wrong because they have found that narcissism can be a common inherited trait. Researchers have studied the effect of genetics in the narcissistic personality disorder by looking at both twin studies and examination of the human genome. According to a study in 2007 that was published in the International Journal of Neuropsycopharmacology, it was found that the specific gene called tryptophan hydroxylase-2 can cause certain personality disorders, including narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This gene mainly regulates the production of serotonin in the brain and that is the reason why it is able to change the mood and way of being of a person. Livesley et al carried out a study with 175 volunteer twin pairs (ninety identical and eighty-five fraternal), in which each twin had to complete a questionnaire about some characteristics of a personality disorder. In this study, the researchers were able to find that narcissism had the highest heritability with 64% and that this trait in the identical twins was significantly influenced by genetics. So, genetic factors can play a significant role in whether a person has NPD or not.
NPD is influenced as well by the cognitive factors which include the factors from the mind and brain. Normally, when determining the causes of NPD, cognitive and sociocultural factors clash into each other to create this personality disorder. In the International Handbook of Personality and Intelligence by Donald H. Saklofske, the cognitive problem in NPD is defined as the lost of balance in the process when “incoming information has to be narrowed down and irrelevant information selectively excluded, a process that is postulated to occur through a balancing of facilitatory processing of task-relevant stimuli and the inhibition of task-irrelevant ones (page 240).” So the process that is being described is that of incoming information or all of those interactions with the environment that has to be narrowed down in the brain to create who a person is, but if there is not a balance between the facilitator of determining what tasks are relevant and which ones are irrelevant, then the person will show a vulnerability in his/her mind and will tend to react in a narcissist way so that every information coming from him/her is relevant and that coming from others is irrelevant most of the times. Many researchers suggest that NPD is caused because of childhood experiences that a person suffered such as very high expectations from nurturing (for example parents), over-pampering, neglect, and even abuse. According to researchers, the way in which some people respond to all of these situations is by hating all of those around them because of what they have done to them and by isolating in a world of their own in which everything they think and do is right to them and they have no empathy to those around them. This response is normally prevalent with children that have a vulnerable mind that is easily affected with what other people say and think of them. The only solution at times seems to be isolating and loving themselves to an extreme in order for them to be happy without needing all of the other serious interactions with those around them; that is why they have superficial relationships. Therefore, cognitive and sociocultural factors are very important to understand NPD because of how the brain/mind of a person responds to the way in which he/she is being treated and how this relationship shapes the personality of the person.
The common symptoms and behavior patterns for people that suffer from a narcissistic personality disorder are: an insatiable appetite for the attention of other people, extreme feelings of jealousy, exaggerate their achievements, talents and importance, extremely sensitive, fantasies regarding how great they are, lack of empathy, superficial relationships, normally people with NPD tend to respond to criticisms with anger, humiliation and shame, they are arrogant, easy to hurt, and they are simply obsessed with themselves. All of these are symptoms and behavioral patterns that can let a person know who suffers from NPD and what to expect from a person who suffers from this.
To diagnose a patient with NPD the doctor must use the criteria given by the DSMIV which states that the patient’s idea and importance of self is exaggerated, fantasies about beauty, success and power over-dominate the patient’s thoughts, patients think they are special and only relate with special people like them, they need to be admired all the time, believe they are entitled to all things, manipulate and take advantage of people, they lack empathy, envy other people and their behavior is haughty and arrogant. Every diagnosis must follow this criteria and the patient must show all of these symptoms and behavioral patterns in order to be diagnosed with NPD. This diagnosis is normally done by interviewing the patient and by analyzing how the patient interacts with his/her environment.
There is no specific treatment that can cure NPD, but psychotherapy is often recommended. Psychotherapy is a type of counseling in which the person will learn to relate and interact with other people. The purpose of psychotherapy is to help the patients understand what their problems and hope that when they realize they actually have a problem, they will change their beliefs and behaviors. Normally family or group therapy is given as a treatment to patients that suffer from NPD and the purpose for this is for the patient to identify all the negative behavior patterns and beliefs that he/she has and replace them for healthy and positive ones. This is known as the cognitive behavioral therapy. In certain situations the doctors could prescribe medications to patients that suffer from NPD such as anti-depressants so that the person does not become depressed when he/she realized that something is wrong with them and have a problem. Psychotherapy is the best treatment and patients normally end having a standard self-esteem in which they acquire realistic expectations of themselves and other people.
There are many people around us that suffer from narcissistic personality disorder and some of them can commonly be famous writers, actors and celebrities over all. There is a theory that explains how celebrities normally become narcissistic ones they have worked really hard to get where they are; mostly because when they are up there they believe they are the best and therefore the world rotates around them and they can do whatever they want. This reaction to becoming a celebrity can be very common because of all the economic benefits they get and how they are able to feel powerful to a certain extent. Some celebrities or famous people that suffer or suffered from narcissistic personality disorder are: Jim Jones, Saddam Hussein, Warren Beatty, Elvis Presley, Pablo Picasso, and Charlie Chaplin. Most of the famous dictators as well form the nineteenth century and throughout the world wars suffered from narcissistic personality disorder such as: Adolph Hitler; he was self-centered, preoccupied with power, control prestige and grandiosity thoughts, and Joseph Stalin; he eliminated political opposition and he wanted so much power, control, prestige and vanity that he even sent to jail, normally to Gulags, all of those who disagreed with him. Other celebrities that have suffered from NPD are: Marilyn Manson, O.J. Simpson, Paris Hilton, and Madonna.
There have been studies lately that have confirmed that men are actually the more narcissistic sex. Psychologists from the University of Buffalo found that men outscored women in almost about every measure of narcissism. The researchers analyzed 31 years worth of personality test results from 475 thousand people. The results showed that men tend to be more narcissist than women. The researchers looked at three facets of narcissism during the study and these were leadership, assertiveness and desire for power. Also confidence, inflated self-esteem and exhibitionism were analyzed during the study. It seems like men are more likely to feel that they deserve certain prestige and privileges and therefore they act in a narcissistic way.
Work Cited Page
1) Simone Hoerman, Corinne Zupanick, and Mark Dombeck. (Copyright 2015) Cognitive-Behavioral Theory of Personality Disorder. Retrieved from: http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=41564&cn=8
2) The Huffington Post. (March 07, 2015) Science Confirms That Men Are The More Narcissistic Sex. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/06/men-narcissism_n_6807852.html
3) Donald, H. S. (1995). International Handbook of Personality and Intelligence. NY: Plenum Press.
4) Alexander Bugemeester. (April 3, 2013) Famous People With Narcissism. Retrieved from: http://thenarcissisticlife.com/famous-people-with-narcissism/
5) American Psychiatric Association. (2012) DSM-IV and DSM-5 Criteria for the Personality Disorders. Retrieved from: http://www.psi.uba.ar/academica/carrerasdegrado/psicologia/sitios_catedras/practicas_profesionales/820_clinica_tr_personalidad_psicosis/material/dsm.pdf
6) Frederick Rhodewalt. (May 29, 2014) Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/403456/narcissism
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