"Have you often felt the need for praise and admiration in your life? Have you ever left the environment when you didn't feel that you were not being taken care of or that you were the shining star of the environment? Do you sometimes think that you are unique? Or have you ever thought that you didn't/won't make any mistakes? Then let's get to know the Narcissistic Personality Disorder together.”
Narcissism, by definition, means "self-love", but it is expressed as an intense admiration for one's own self and characteristics. Everyone has narcissistic traits and needs; Not every narcissistic trait indicates a pathology. Therefore, a healthy narcissism is a dimension that encourages and motivates the person to develop himself; Pathological narcissism is a dimension that causes deterioration in the person's social life and interpersonal interactions. Pathological narcissism should not be confused with pride in achievement.
Pathologically, narcissism is called Narcissistic Personality Disorder. While its incidence in the community can reach 5.3%, it is more likely to be seen in men than in women, and it usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood. Individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder want the people around them to admire them intensely, to praise them with their successes, and they stay away from the environment where they cannot see this praise. They believe that others are envious of them, or they themselves envy others. They have unlimited success, power and love. They ignore the feelings and thoughts of others because they have difficulty in empathizing. They use other people for their own goals and desires. They lie too often, and if they make mistakes, they won't admit their mistake. They put themselves in a privileged position, they exaggerate their talents, they are the "best" of all beautiful things. They think that they are one-of-a-kind, so they can get along and relate to others who are special or superior. Everything is their right, they do not recognize any rules. They see respect for people as a condescending attitude. They may engage in disrespectful behavior. Narcissistic Personality Disorder may be suspected when five or more of the above-mentioned characteristics are present.
When we look at individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, they actually have a very fragile self-esteem deep inside their inflated selves. This fragile structure turns into a need for constant attention, admiration, being cherished, and being self-focused. To the extent that this need is met, their self-esteem is preserved. Therefore, they increase their self-esteem with the meanings they attribute to the people they are in a relationship with. When they are not liked or criticized by others, they become defensive, and they see the person who criticizes them as an enemy. People with Narcissistic Personality Disorder can best get along with individuals who show dependent personality traits. Individuals in these structures feed each other in a relationship, but they can have problems with people with other personality traits.
So, what kind of a course should be followed for the treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
The best method that can be applied in the treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is psychotherapy, but in cases where other mental health problems are seen, drug therapy can also be applied. With psychodynamic therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy as a method of psychotherapy, the person; It is aimed to be able to show empathy and compassion to other people, to take responsibility and accept their mistakes, to be open to criticism and to perceive and accept their abilities and potential in their real dimensions, to make human relations sustainable in cooperation, to develop their ability to control their emotions by noticing them, and to exhibit their abilities in line with ideal goals.
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