What People with NPD Traits Might Want You Know

have you ever labeled someone as a narcissist just because they behave in a way that you don't like when we see people express pride in themselves in a way that we find arrogant or annoying it's easy to write them off as a narcissist but that isn't always the truth narcissistic personality disorder is more complicated than people think your bully might not have NPD and your best friend might it isn't as easy to spot as many people think everyone knows there is a dark side to NPD but there are also little intricacies that people with NPD might want you to know at Psychico our mission is to make mental health content digestible through our animated videos our big picture is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental conditions by creating a platform where people can openly talk about their challenges without feeling judged that said a video about what goes on in the mind of someone with NPD would be important because they too are human with conditions they may or may not have full control over however without dismissing the harm and hurt we made this video to help people with NPD feel heard so that healing can start somewhere always pursuing perfectionism the belief everyone has around narcissistic people is that they think they're perfect the truth is some narcissistic people don't think they're perfect but rather that they should be a lot of people with NPD struggle to be themselves instead they obsess over the tiniest details and how they look and how they perform socially they design themselves around their perception of perfection sure you might think that it's normal to look good and be socially acceptable but NPD goes beyond that most people work on their looks to express themselves and they behave socially in the way that comes naturally to them people with NPD identify what is perfect and aim for that regardless of what comes naturally to them or what they feel is authentic to themselves ironically in many cases the opposite of the narcissistic stereotype is true instead of a firm believer that they're perfect and have an endless spring of confidence a lot of narcissists carry a deep sense of shame that influences their perfectionism no two people with NPD are alike the strong stigma around narcissism makes it easy for people to assume they know everything there is to know about NPD but like with anything no two people with NPD are the same each person experiences it and acts on it differently you may not know that people with NPD usually fall into one of two categories there are people who have the grandiose type of NPD who are competent and attention-seeking the other type is vulnerable these people tend to be anxious and distrustful many people with NPD will feel aspects of both or they'll fluctuate between them for example you might crave attention but once you have it a soulc crushing sense of embarrassment sinks in as you overthink whether or not you're living up to your own standard everyone with NPD is different but this disorder can bring a lot of inner turmoil with it they could be dealing with more than you realize trying to deal with someone that has NPD isn't always easy but being someone with NPD isn't always easy either npd is a disorder that is very commonly co-occurring with other disorders psychotherapists know that NPD can be incredibly difficult to treat considering the resistance that's inherent to the disorder people with NPD might not want to take medication or they might not be receptive to the advice of a therapist when these traits are paired with another disorder that's more dangerous or volatile it can make it difficult to help them consider how difficult it must be to be a person with NPD no one sees things the way you do you can't seem to get along with other people perfection is impossible so you're constantly ashamed or embarrassed and on top of it all there might be another more dangerous disorder that you desperately need help with of course it can be frustrating for the people around them but it's also frustrating to be the person with NPD their struggle with empathy people with NPD can seem cold or dismissive towards other people which can seem cruel the truth is people with NPD struggle to engage with other people emotionally because of a lack of self-awareness they have a need for validation and emotional support but the emotional needs of others can seem like a distraction or ironically selfish one case study published in Psychiatric Times reveals how a person with NPD wanted to move for a job opportunity after telling his girlfriend that he'll have to move he was angered and vexed by her response she was understanding of his decision but sad that they won't be together to people without NPD that response is expected and even welcome but to the person with NPD he felt like she was trying to manipulate him with emotions to get him to stay if a person with NPD is lashing out at you unexpectedly just know that as frustrating as it is it comes from a difference in perception they most likely aren't intentionally creating a misunderstanding it can be extremely alienating to deal with NPD being labeled narcissistic carries a stigma with it people with NPD can't help that they see things differently in a way that's prone to spark up conflict they're also usually dealing with things that people without NPD couldn't even consider if you have NPD what are some things that you would want people to know about the disorder would you like a follow-up on this topic where we interview someone with NPD traits and hear what they have to say if you are someone you know is officially diagnosed with NPD or have strong NPD tendencies and would like to openly talk about your experience you can email us at [email protected] to contribute to our content and help bridge more awareness and empathy around the world