Narcissism: Does your partner have this personality disorder?

Narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder is way beyond being self-immersed. Here, we help you spot the traits of this personality disorder in your partner. Read on, to know all about narcissism.

By: Anuradha Varanasi | | Updated: December 12, 2019 2:21 pm

Narcissists have long fanned the fantasy of popular imagination. So, it’s no surprise that we find their reference quite often in popular literature and cinema as well. Nowadays the term narcissist is loosely used for people who click a lot of selfies, or brag a tad too much about their career or other aspects of life. However, narcissism is way beyond being full of yourself, at least research in the area of psychology suggests so. It is a spectrum personality disorder that manifests itself primarily through a hunger for appreciation and lack of empathy. Narcissistic personality disorder is also characterised by superiority complex, attention-seeking tendency and intolerance towards criticism.

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We all possess narcissism to some extent. However, when the traits of narcissistic personality disorder start affecting our interaction with others, relationships and functionality, it can be considered as a mental health condition. It can be identified and addressed by a trained psychologist only. “But individuals with narcissistic personality disorder don’t even realize they need to approach a psychologist or psychiatrist until they are referred to one by colleagues or loved ones. They normally face many problems in maintaining relationships or doing well in their professional or personal life due to their narcissistic personality disorder,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Sushma Mehrotra.

However, there’s a good news for narcissists or at least the people close to them. According to a recent research published in the journal Psychology and Aging the traits of narcissistic personality disorder dwindle over time, especially after landing the first job. Interesting, isn’t it? While this revelation comes as a ray of hope for those with a narcissistic partner, let’s help you all with a guide to identifying this personality disorder in your loved one.

20 signs of a narcissist partner

Being involved with a narcissistic can be exhausting as you will constantly end up feeling used and manipulated to constantly meet their demands and needs. Dr Mehrotra says these are the 20 signs that you’re dealing with an individual suffering from narcissism. While many of us might be guilty of exhibiting these behaviours at one point or the other, it is important to remember that a narcissistic individuals follow these behaviour patterns habitually and are highly unconcerned about how their actions or personality traits affect others. Here’s your foolproof to spot a narcissist. Consult a psychologist once you notice these traits and find a pattern.

• He constantly blames others and refuses to acknowledge the fact that he has made a mistake.

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance and unabashedly boasts about himself and his accomplishments irrespective of whether the opposite person is interested in listening to him or not. Researchers say that narcissists tend to brag more about their accomplishments on social media as well.

• He completely lacks the ability of understanding other people’s feelings and emotions. He is insensitive towards other people’s wants and needs and only thinks about himself.

• He thinks he is very special, important and he’s constantly not able to perceive things objectively when it comes to fulfilling his own wants and needs.

• His emotional quotient is very low due to which he can only think about his own feelings and emotions.

• He completely lacks empathy and can’t put himself in another person’s shoes because of his highly self-absorbed nature. However, did you know, narcissists can feel empathy when instructed to consider other people’s perspective?

• Has a false sense of grandiosity and constantly needs to assert his presence in a room.

• Loves to talk about himself and doesn’t give the opposite person a chance to talk about their own views and opinions.

• He shows little or no genuine interest in you and always manage to make the conversation only about himself.

• Has a false sense of entitlement and expects preferential treatment from others.

• When he wants something from you, he can be the most charming and persuasive person you’ve ever met but as soon as he gets what he wants, he becomes cold and aloof.

• He doesn’t appreciate constructive criticism and can become extremely defensive and even throw tantrums if you disagree with him.

• He is superficial and gives a lot of importance to his own appearance and image.

• He tends to distrust people in general and can be extremely judgmental and overly critical of others.

• He has trouble maintaining long-term relationships and has a history of broken relationships with friends, family members and colleagues.

• He uses you or the children for his own needs or for fulfilling his unachieved dreams.

• He is extremely controlling and will try his best to gain power or the upper hand in the relationship.

• He is overly conscious about what others think of him and wants to be popular.

• With him, the rule always seems to be ‘My way or the highway’.

• He is extremely jealous and competitive towards you. Did you know, narcissists are highly likely to be cheaters?

Published : December 12, 2019 2:20 pm | Updated:December 12, 2019 2:21 pm

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