BPD and NPD: Similarities and Differences

Hello, I'm Darren Magee and the topic for today comes from some questions asking about the differences and the similarities between Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. Another question asks, can they be comorbid? In other words, can someone have a diagnosis of both? So to begin with, both NPD and BPD are part of the cluster B group of personalities. This also includes Histrionic Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder. And although there are different diagnostic criteria for each of these, they do share similar characteristics, including erratic and unpredictable behaviours and being overly dramatic. And although the diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality tends to focus more on grandiose narcissism, it can also be covert narcissism. With Borderline Personality, there are four subtypes. There's Impulsive Borderline, Petulant Borderline, Quiet Borderline and Self-Destructive Borderline. I've made videos on those subtypes previously if you want more information. But before looking at the similarities and the differences, with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, what we often see is a pattern of grandiosity. There's haughty behaviour, a constant need for admiration and believing that others are envious of them. We also see an exaggerated sense of self-importance, believing they are superior to others and deserving of special treatment and privileges. There is also a lack of empathy for other people and a disregard for other people's boundaries. Lastly, they have a fragile self-esteem which is vulnerable to criticism or perceived threats to their self-image. With Borderline Personality, however, what we often see is extremely intense and rapidly changing emotions. There's a profound fear of abandonment, whether real or imagined. And this fear can lead to frantic efforts to avoid that abandonment. People with BPD can go from extreme happiness to profound sadness or anger within a short period, often triggered by interpersonal stressors. Emotional responses tend to be volatile and unpredictable. Small triggers can lead to disproportionate emotional reactions. People with BPD can engage in self-destructive behaviours including self-harm and suicidal ideation as a way to cope with intense emotional pain. Lastly, people with Borderline Personality often report chronic feelings of emptiness which can contribute to their emotional instability. So some similarities and differences between the two would be firstly their sense of self. People with NPD tend to have a false sense of self which tends to be quite fragile. They require constant validation and admiration in order to maintain that false image. People with BPD, they tend to have a wavering sense of self. Their likes, dislikes, their goals, their self-image can change so often life can be quite confusing for them. Both can have difficulties regulating their emotions effectively. However, this differs in the sense that people with Borderline experience rapidly shifting emotions, while people with NPD may react very strongly to perceived criticism, a perceived loss of status or any threat to their self-image. Both disorders can involve impulsive behaviours, though again the motivations and the manifestations may differ. With BPD, the impulsivity can involve self-harm, substance abuse, reckless spending or just risk-taking behaviour. With NPD, the impulsivity might manifest as quick impulsive reactions to gain some kind of advantage over someone, to evade responsibility or to enhance their self-image somehow. Both struggle with maintaining stable and satisfying relationships due to their interpersonal challenges. With BPD, there can be intense and volatile emotional responses due to emotional dysregulation. With NPD, there's a lack of empathy so can have difficulty understanding or caring about the impact of their behaviour on others. They also have a need for control and domination over others. And while the underlying causes and presentations may differ, both disorders involve disturbances in self-esteem. In BPD, it may be unstable and marked by feelings of emptiness. In NPD, it's often characterized by a fragile ego that is vulnerable to any kind of criticism. People with NPD typically identify with those they see as powerful, important and can't be dismissive towards those they see as inferior. They tend to have shallow emotional experiences. They have difficulty experiencing or expressing deep emotions like empathy or genuine love for others. People with BPD, however, either over-identify with other people's feelings or they under-identify with them. And when they over-identify, they can become quite immersed in that person. This would be common in a relationship with what's referred to as their favourite person. That could be a partner, a friend, a colleague. With both disorders, there can be different expectations and reactions to the same kind of situation. For instance, if someone with NPD sends a text or an email, it's almost like they demand an immediate response and can become quite angry if they don't get it. They are too important to be left unanswered regardless of what the other person is doing. If someone with BPD doesn't get an immediate response, well, they might begin to panic, fearing they are being ignored. Both can experience jealousy and become controlling. With narcissistic personalities, it's because they don't want to lose their narcissistic supply. With borderline personality, it's more the fear of being rejected or someone else. And lastly, borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder can co-occur, meaning that some people might meet the diagnostic criteria for both disorders simultaneously. This comorbidity can complicate clinical presentations, treatment approaches and outcomes. The co-occurrence of both can intensify emotional volatility, interpersonal conflicts and challenges related to identity and self-esteem. That being said, I think someone can have a clinical diagnosis of a personality disorder and also have some very strong traits associated with another, but not necessarily enough for a dual diagnosis. So in summary, I think both narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder can look similar. There can be angry outbursts, there can be difficulty trusting others and there's a fear of betrayal. We can see similar symptoms and behaviours, however, they do differ in presentation and motivation. BPD is characterised by intense, rapidly shifting and often self-destructive emotions, while NPD is characterised by emotional shallowness, entitlement and self-promotion. But I think two key differences are how people with narcissistic personality reject any personal responsibility for their actions and their behaviours as a way to maintain that false sense of self. Whereas people with borderline personality disorder, well they can either reject responsibility or take responsibility that isn't even theirs in an effort to avoid abandonment. Secondly, with NPD, we often see blame-shifting and projection onto others as a way to maintain that false sense of perfection and flawlessness. Whereas people with BPD, they tend to feel a lot of pain and regret over the impact of their behaviours but struggle to regulate their emotions and behaviours and change it. That pain often becomes internalised and both fear criticism and rejection, but for different reasons. There are just similarities and differences between narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. I'll add the research I've been looking at in the description of this video if you want to read that for more information. But as always, if there's anything I've missed, anything you might like to add, please feel free to use the comment box below, there are some interesting conversations starting these videos. But if you find this video interesting, please consider subscribing to my channel and until next time,