Charm, arrogance, constant criticism, nit-picking, no empathy, devalued, dismissed? Read this

Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissists, NPD and the serial bully

"One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people." (Unknown)

On this page
Narcissistic Personality Disorder | DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Related personality disorders | Links to narcissism and narcissistic personality disoder sites

On another page
Attention seeking behaviour
Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy (MSBP)
The serial bully

The serial bully displays behaviour congruent with many of the diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Characterised by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity and self-importance, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, people with narcissistic personality disorder overestimate their abilities and inflate their accomplishments, often appearing boastful and pretentious, whilst correspondingly underestimating and devaluing the achievements and accomplishments of others.

Often the narcissist will fraudulently claim to have qualifications or experience or affiliations or associations which they don't have or aren't entitled to. Belief in superiority, inflating their self-esteem to match that of senior or important people with whom they associate or identify, insisting on having the "top" professionals or being affiliated with the "best" institutions, but criticising the same people who disappoint them are also common features of narcissistic personality disorder.

Narcissists react angrily to criticism and when rejected, the narcissist will often denounce the profession which has rejected them (usually for lack of competence or misdeed) but simultaneously and paradoxically represent themselves as belonging to the profession they are vilifying.

Fragile self-esteem, a need for constant attention and admiration, fishing for compliments (often with great charm), an expectation of superior entitlement, expecting others to defer to them, and a lack of sensitivity especially when others do not react in the expected manner, are also hallmarks of the disorder. Greed, expecting to receive before and above the needs of others, overworking those around them, and forming romantic (sic) or sexual relationships for the purpose of advancing their purpose or career, abusing special privileges and squandering extra resources also feature.

People with narcissistic personality disorder also have difficulty recognizing the needs and feelings of others, and are dismissive, contemptuous and impatient when others share or discuss their concerns or problems. They are also oblivious to the hurtfulness of their behaviour or remarks, show an emotional coldness and a lack of reciprocal interest, exhibit envy (especially when others are accorded recognition), have an arrogant, disdainful and patronizing attitude, and are quick to blame and criticise others when their needs and expectations are not met.

The DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder are:

A. A pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy, as indicated by at least five of:

1. a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement, ie unreasonable expectations of especially favourable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. is interpersonally exploitative, ie takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy and is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes

Personality disorders related to Narcissistic Personality Disorder

The serial bully, antisocial personality disorder, paranoid personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, attention seeking behaviour.

The page on bullying in the family may be of interest.

Links to sites on narcissism

Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited has a comprehensive web site devoted to narcissism at http://samvak.tripod.com

NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER is a learning, resource and support group

NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER links

Anthony M Benis ScD MD has a site devoted to narcissism at http://narcissism.homestead.com

George and Mae McAuley write about Working with the narcissistic personality in the telecomsanalyst.

Of Criminals And CEOs: the difference between bold, creative visionaries and deluded psychopaths is not as big as it used to be, Tara Pepper writes in Newsweek.

Tribal elders at http://tribalelders.tripod.com has links to narcissism and psychopathy

The Impact of Narcissism on Leadership and Sustainability

See the pages on narcissism at http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/personality_disorders/narcissism/index.html

Mental Health Net Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms at http://mentalhelp.net/disorders/sx36.htm

Mental Health Net Narcissistic Personality Disorder Treatment at http://mentalhelp.net/disorders/sx36t.htm

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) by Joanna Ashmun at http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Diagnosis at http://www.mentalhealth.com/dx/fdx-pe07.html

A primer on narcissism at http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php/type/doc/id/419

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Webliography: http://www.suite101.com/files/topics/6514/files/NPDWebliography.zip

Links to Therapist Directories, Psychological Tests, Narcissistic Personality Disorders Resources, Support Groups, and Tutorials: http://www.suite101.com/links.cfm/npd

Toddlertime narcissism pages at http://www.toddlertime.com/narcissist_personality_disorder_.htm

Mental Health Matters - Narcissistic Personality Disorder at http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/sv001.php?artID=75

Narcissistic Abuse Study List http://samvak.tripod.com/narclist.html and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Diagnosis http://www.mentalhealth.com/dx/fdx-pe07.html

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Discussion and Support Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Narcissistic_Personality_Disorder/

N-Courage Health Network http://www.n-courage.net/

Online Courses - Pathological Narcissism - Beginner, Intermediate and advanced Levels http://www.learn.com/education/samvak

Open Directory - Narcissistic Personality Disorder http://dmoz.org/Health/Mental_Health/Disorders/Personality/Narcissistic

PTypes Personality Disorders - Narcissistic http://www.geocities.com/ptypes/narcissisticpd.html

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Suite101 site http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/npd - discussions, journal entries and links regarding the Narcissistic Personality Disorder and relationships with abusive narcissists.

The full archives of the Narcissistic Abuse Study List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/messages/

Pathological Narcissism FAQs http://samvak.tripod.com/faq1.html - dozens of frequently asked questions regarding Pathological Narcissism, relationships with abusive narcissists, and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited http://samvak.tripod.com/msla.html - a book-length psychodynamic study of pathological narcissism, relationships with abusive narcissists, and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder, using a new vocabulary.

The Narcissism Revisited and the Narcissistic Abuse Study Lists http://samvak.tripod.com/narclist.html

The Narcissistic Abuse Discussion and Study List page http://samvak.tripod.com/archive01.html

HealthyPlace Narcissistic Personality Disorder Community http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/personality_disorders/narcissism/index.html

Narcisssistic PD and abuse by narcissists - FAQs, essays,links, and book excerpts: http://malignantselflove.tripod.com

Ask Sam Vaknin - Narcissistic Personality Disorder http://samvak.tripod.com/indexqa.htm - Q&A regarding the Narcissistic Personality Disorder and relationships with abusive narcissists

Where now at Bully OnLine?
How can I recognise that I'm being bullied?
What is bullying and why me? | Definitions of bullying
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about bullying
Overcoming myths, misperceptions and stereotypes
The answer to Why don't you stand up for yourself?
Bullying and vulnerability
Why have my colleagues deserted me?
What's the difference between bullying and mobbing?
What is harassment and discrimination?
Why grievance procedures are inappropriate for dealing with bullying
The difference between bullying and management
Facts, figures, surveys, costs of bullying | Cost of bullying to UK plc
UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line statistics
Profile of the serial bully - who does this describe in your life?
Antisocial Personality Disorder | Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder | Borderline Personality Disorder
Bullies and attention-seeking behaviour
Munchausen Syndrome and MSBP
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Bullying in the public sector - the political dimension and
why trade unions fail to support their members
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