Surely each of us in life came across a person who, apart from himself, does not see anything else. We jokingly call such people “daffodils,” while recalling the hero of ancient mythology. But few people realize that such behavior can sometimes be a sign of a disease called primordial narcissism.
Material Content:
Primordial narcissism - general characteristics
According to ICD-10, this disease is a specific disorder of personality and behavior. It is characteristic of him:
- Unreasonably high self-esteem.
- Lack of concern for another person.
- Superiority over others.
Diagnosis of the disease is not based on specific criteria, it is enough for a specialist to see signs of the disorder. Narcissism has much in common with sociopathy. But its main difference is expressed in the fact that the narcissus by all means achieves his own success, while the sociopath is not able to adhere to the goal for a long time due to immoral life.
The most dangerous for others is a person suffering from perverse narcissism.
Such a person will:
- To manipulate people.
- Turn any situation in their favor.
- Avoid open conflicts.
- Impose other people a good opinion of yourself.
- Appreciate only that concerns only their person.
Why does narcissism arise?
Specialists can not accurately identify the causes of the ailment, but they highlight several stimulating factors.
The first of these is the inferiority complex. Low self-esteem inherent in childhood can be triggered by inferior education: permissiveness or excessive rigor.In addition, narcissism can develop in children who do not know the parental praise and support, or, conversely, who have grown up in the form of an idol for worship.
An important role in the development of narcissism is played by a genetic predisposition, namely the degree of resistance to stress and temperamental features.
Signs of the disease are often manifested in adolescents, but in this age period it rarely signals the development of the disease and disappears as the child grows older.
In some cases, narcissism is a symptom of a serious mental disorder, such as schizophrenia. Patients for some time ceased to understand reality and began to perceive themselves as higher beings.
Signs of narcissism in men, women
Narcissism in men is manifested in an attempt to gain some significance in the eyes of the environment and their own. Catering to his ambitions, the patient often achieves high career success, but the achieved heights are quickly replaced by spiritual emptiness. On average, up to forty years, the daffodil receives happiness from the emergence of new goals and their achievement. But having crossed a certain age line, they begin to feel devastated and worthless. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to have relationships with people around them. According to statistics, family members of many male daffodils are victims of their violence.
Female daffodils stand out for their ambitiousness. They often quarrel with their children, because they set high demands on them and are very disappointed, not getting what was expected. The husband of such a woman will most often be calm and caring, but she will not respect him. The couple will have an “interesting” union, where both partners suffer from narcissism. In such relationships, mutual rivalry and caustic criticality will come first, so it is an attitude that will quickly end.
Pathology Diagnostics
Diagnosis of the disease and any of its forms involves a physical examination of the patient in order to understand the reasons for the presence of problems that provoked a personality disorder. If there are no such diseases, the specialist resorts to a structured interview. During this technique, he studies the patient’s words and behavior, sums up the results and identifies typical symptoms of a psychological illness.
As practice shows, to recognize the daffodil is not difficult. Such people have problems in all areas of life, while the patient himself does not agree with this. Denial of disharmony in life is a characteristic symptom of narcissism. Another striking sign of the disease is an inadequate response to criticism: a daffodil can never calmly listen to negative information about herself.
In addition to the interview, the specialist can use other psychological techniques.
The study of patients for perverse narcissism involves the differentiation of the disease from antisocial, borderline and hysterical disorders. Since the patient himself does not understand the problematic nature of his condition, people from the close circle of the narcissus most often seek qualified medical help. From them, the doctor can also learn useful information that contributes to the rapid diagnosis of the disease and the selection of effective therapy.
Recognize and neutralize - treatment of the syndrome
When developing therapeutic measures, the specialist takes into account the individual characteristics of each clinical manifestation of the disease. Since the disease is chronic, its treatment can be very problematic. As practice shows, in each situation, properly designed psychological assistance plays a key role in the recovery of the patient. Given the fact that patients very rarely voluntarily agree to be treated, the specialist is obliged to find the right approach to the daffodil. Very often for this they begin to show favor and respect for the patient.
High therapeutic effect in the treatment of perverse narcissism shows psychotherapy. Classes are individual and group type.Conversations are held with patients to help them most recognize and neutralize the disease that affected them. They are taught to correctly evaluate themselves and make rational decisions. At this stage, the psychotherapist is required to correctly disclose the essence of narcissism as a disease. If he does not, the patient may oppose the treatment, arguing that the loss of personal dignity.
The use of special medicines is advisable if the patient suffers from:
- Depression
- Panic attacks.
- Phobias and similar mental problems.
In such a situation, a specialist can prescribe a patient to take tranquilizers, antidepressants and herbal remedies.
Pharmaceutical products can only minimize the symptoms of the disease, but not cure the patient from it.
Preventive measures
Since narcissism develops on the basis of certain reasons, its development can be prevented if the child is raised as a normal person from childhood.
To do this, parents need:
- To educate the kid in self-respect and independence from the opinions of the environment.
- Allow the child to cry if necessary.
- Be able to firmly refuse the whims of the baby and not succumb to tantrums.
- Praise a child if he honestly deserves it. In parallel with this, experts advise not to extol his merits to others in the presence of the baby.
- Protect your child from family scandals.
- Raise a child with the thought that he is an important part of society, but those around him should not fulfill all his whims.
