Narcissism: The Basics

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a disorder in which individuals seem to have an inflated sense of their own importance and an unrealistically deep need for admiration. A person with NPD is majorly preoccupied with issues of power, personal adequacy, prestige, and vanity. He or she lacks empathy and exudes a sense of superiority, but beneath the mask of super-confidence rests an extremely fragile self-esteem. Individuals with NPD are insensitive to others' feelings, but crumple at the slightest hint of criticism to themselves. The aim of this course - a companion to “Treating Narcissism In and Around Your Clients” and “Case Studies in Narcissism” - is to acquaint you with the basics of narcissism as it is understood by clinicians and researchers. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to: Define narcissism; Recall at least seven of its chief symptoms/ diagnostic criteria; Name the three chief factors in a person's interpersonal history which tend to create NPD; Identify the differences between healthy and pathological narcissism; List the chief consequences of narcissism in an individual's life and; Discuss the main paradoxes of narcissism.