Narcissism

[Marie84]

Classifying narcissism to type is simply too biased to be used as type related IMO

[Suz]

Classifying narcissism to type is simply too biased to be used as type related IMO

I completely agree.

We sometimes just kind of throw around the word "narcissist" as a synonym for someone acting vain or selfish, or someone with good self-esteem & selfconfidence, but NPD is actually a psychiatric condition and a profound psychological disturbance that permeates someone's entire character. It negatively affects people in close contact with them in an unhealthy way (understatement!), particularly if someone has somehow assumed a role of "mirror" to the narcissist (does not have to be a romantic relationship for this to happen). Sometimes people who end up being narcissists' "mirrors" are just "rescuer" types trying to help the narcissistic individual with their inevitable problems. The catch to this, however, is that there is no treatment for narcissism in the present-day practice of psychiatry or psychology. Moreover, trying to "rescue" someone with NPD only serves to feed their narcissism. The only way to deal with these people is to avoid them.

With a condition so pervasive to one's character as NPD, it simply cannot be type related. Moreover, the question arises in my mind as to whether they can actually be accurately typed, as some aspects of NPD can come across as (or be "excused" by) certain IEs, like Fi-POLR. I feel it is doing an injustice to a particular type to villify it with these kinds of associations.

I urge people to familiarize themselves with how to recognize these kinds of individuals, as they can seem normal or even nice/interesting (when they are trying to score mirrors), but they can have a vile, damaging effect on your psyche over the long term. I've had the misfortune of being mirror to two such individuals in the past couple years (one boss, and one online). Even though it hasn't been pleasant, it has been an invaluable learning experience for me, which I hope will help me avoid such individuals among dating partners.

I met one person recently who suffered through 30 years of marriage with an NPD .... she is very much a battered woman, battered emotionally and mentally. A scary thing about being in this kind of situation is that a narcissist can break you down, make you feel like you are shit, and enslave you in this way, making you feel powerless, guilty, and unable to leave that relationship -- this is exactly what occurred in her case.

http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/howto.html
http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/traits.html

https://afternarcissisticabuse.wordpress.com/

http://thenarcissisticlife.com/victi...s-of-recovery/

[Aylen]

The only way to deal with these people is to avoid them.

For the sake of argument... how is one to avoid the person if they are a family member? If my mother (LSI) happens to be one, should I let her live out her life alone? She would literally die left alone, due to health and other cognitive issues (stroke). Sometimes you just have to learn to deal with people. I have run from her my whole life. There is nowhere left to run now. My step-dad died and the universe decided to throw us back together. No one else will have her for more than 3 months at a time. Thankfully I have two sisters. That is when I get a break for 6 months.

My family thinks I had too much freedom and that is why I get to keep her longer. It's not all bad if you can imagine walking on eggshells half the day and hiding the other half. She is too young to put in a home and I wouldn't do that to my mother anyway. I hated being locked up when I was a teen and in a way it would be ironic justice to lock her away some day since she did that to me. I won't though. She still has some sweet moments and I tend to hang on them and use them as a reminder that she does have feelings and maybe deep down she is still a scared little girl who was so spoiled she started to see herself as the center of the universe. She probably lacks a certain kind of empathy but she is good with kids and animals. There is a lot of gray area when dealing with people who may have mental issues affecting them. You can't just throw them all on an island and let them sort themselves out.

Heh, sorry for rant but mental issues are a cause I care about.

[Suz]

For the sake of argument... how is one to avoid the person if they are a family member? If my mother (LSI) happens to be one, should I let her live out her life alone? She would literally die left alone, due to health and other cognitive issues (stroke). Sometimes you just have to learn to deal with people. I have run from her my whole life. There is nowhere left to run now. My step-dad died and the universe decided to throw us back together. No one else will have her for more than 3 months at a time. Thankfully I have two sisters. That is when I get a break for 6 months.

My family thinks I had too much freedom and that is why I get to keep her longer. It's not all bad if you can imagine walking on eggshells half the day and hiding the other half. She is too young to put in a home and I wouldn't do that to my mother anyway. I hated being locked up when I was a teen and in a way it would be ironic justice to lock her away some day since she did that to me. I won't though. She still has some sweet moments and I tend to hang on them and use them as a reminder that she does have feelings and maybe deep down she is still a scared little girl who was so spoiled she started to see herself as the center of the universe. She probably lacks a certain kind of empathy but she is good with kids and animals. There is a lot of gray area when dealing with people who may have mental issues affecting them. You can't just throw them all on an island and let them sort themselves out.

Heh, sorry for rant but mental issues are a cause I care about.

Aylen thanks for bringing up this point... when it's a family member, particularly a parent, it's obviously a very challenging situation. There are actually support groups for children of NPD parents. Ethically of course it's so difficult to leave one's parents or other loved ones in solitude, and it's not something i would do either, but perhaps minimizing interaction when possible, would be psychologically healthier. If she's had a stroke and has been incapacitated then leaving her alone would obviously be wrong on so many levels, and you are a blessed person to accept the duty of caring for her.

[Suz]

I completely agree.

We sometimes just kind of throw around the word "narcissist" as a synonym for someone acting vain or selfish, or someone with good self-esteem & selfconfidence, but NPD is actually a psychiatric condition and a profound psychological disturbance that permeates someone's entire character. It negatively affects people in close contact with them in an unhealthy way (understatement!), particularly if someone has somehow assumed a role of "mirror" to the narcissist (does not have to be a romantic relationship for this to happen). Sometimes people who end up being narcissists' "mirrors" are just "rescuer" types trying to help the narcissistic individual with their inevitable problems. The catch to this, however, is that there is no treatment for narcissism in the present-day practice of psychiatry or psychology. Moreover, trying to "rescue" someone with NPD only serves to feed their narcissism. The only way to deal with these people is to avoid them.

With a condition so pervasive to one's character as NPD, it simply cannot be type related. Moreover, the question arises in my mind as to whether they can actually be accurately typed, as some aspects of NPD can come across as (or be "excused" by) certain IEs, like Fi-POLR. I feel it is doing an injustice to a particular type to villify it with these kinds of associations.

I urge people to familiarize themselves with how to recognize these kinds of individuals, as they can seem normal or even nice/interesting (when they are trying to score mirrors), but they can have a vile, damaging effect on your psyche over the long term. I've had the misfortune of being mirror to two such individuals in the past couple years (one boss, and one online). Even though it hasn't been pleasant, it has been an invaluable learning experience for me, which I hope will help me avoid such individuals among dating partners.

I met one person recently who suffered through 30 years of marriage with an NPD .... she is very much a battered woman, battered emotionally and mentally. A scary thing about being in this kind of situation is that a narcissist can break you down, make you feel like you are shit, and enslave you in this way, making you feel powerless, guilty, and unable to leave that relationship -- this is exactly what occurred in her case.

http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/howto.html
http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/traits.html

https://afternarcissisticabuse.wordpress.com/

http://thenarcissisticlife.com/victi...s-of-recovery/

adding useful link, thanks @zap!

http://samvak.tripod.com/narcissismparanoia.html