MellowYellow Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 I know a woman who, we all know there is something wrong going on with her, but she's doesn't have mood swings or delusions. Has anyone ever heard of a female having NPD, other than known criminals? She's just what you'd think it is; must be the center of attention and brags constantly. Anyone have any insight into this PD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsdi_perplexed Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Not much insight on the PD other than what's in books, but I know there are females with it, simply because I know some of them. (Heck I'm related to several of them... boy do I love family reunions ) plexi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batou Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 For NPD about 50-75% of those diagnosed are males. So, that leaves plenty of room for females to be daignosed as well. NPD: A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, lack of empathy, beginning in early adulthood, and present in a variety of contexts. Including: Grandiose sense of self-importance - exaggerates achievements. expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate acheivements. Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. Believes that he/she is special and unique and can only be understood or should associate with other people of special or high status (or other institutions). Others with power or force. Should only associate with others who are unique, perfect or gifted qualites. Requires excessive admiration. Thier self-esteem is almost invaribly very fragile. May constantly fish for compliments. They expect to be catered to. Has a sense of entitlement, having unreasonable expectations for favorable treatment or automatic compliance with her expectations. Takes advantage of others to acheive his/her needs. Tend to form frienships or romantic relationships only if the other person seems likely to advance their their purposes or enhance their self-esteem. Is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings or needs of others (lacks empathy). They have a neverending need to discuss their own concerns in lengthy detail while failing to listen to or recognize others' needs and feelings. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of them. Displays arrogant behaviors or attitudes. NPDs are very sensitive to cristicism. They may react with disdain, rage, or defiant counter-attack when they feel wronged or injured. Feelings of shame or humiation and self-crirticism may be associated with social withdrawal, depressed mood, and and dsythymic or major depressive disorder. Substained periods of grandiosity may be associated with a hypomanic mood. So the person may show mood swings but is unlikely to truly delsusional. That is pretty much is pretty much the textbook definition. Does this sound like your co-worker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ella Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Lots of people have narcissistic traits without actually having the PD. There's a lot of overlapping of traits with PDs, too. What you've described, excessive need for admiration and bragging, could also be Histrionic PD. I've heard that the way you can pinpoint a true narcissist is to implore, "Have a heart", when they're being unreasonable. If this gives them pause, they aren't NPD. If they carry on being a jerk, it's NPD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batou Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 There's a lot of overlapping of traits with PDs, too. What you've described, excessive need for admiration and bragging, could also be Histrionic PD.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> This is very true many PDs share traits with other PDs. There are ways to distinguish one from another but sometimes the correct Dx is difficult to make if there are traits that are commomn among a particular cluster. It is also not unusual for someone to have more than one PD or a PD Dx with traits of another PD. Erika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Grandiose sense of self-importance - exaggerates achievements. expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate acheivements. Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. Believes that he/she is special and unique and can only be understood or should associate with other people of special or high status (or other institutions). Others with power or force. Should only associate with others who are unique, perfect or gifted qualites. Requires excessive admiration. Thier self-esteem is almost invaribly very fragile. May constantly fish for compliments. They expect to be catered to. Has a sense of entitlement, having unreasonable expectations for favorable treatment or automatic compliance with her expectations. Takes advantage of others to acheive his/her needs. Tend to form frienships or romantic relationships only if the other person seems likely to advance their their purposes or enhance their self-esteem. Is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings or needs of others (lacks empathy). They have a neverending need to discuss their own concerns in lengthy detail while failing to listen to or recognize others' needs and feelings. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of them. Displays arrogant behaviors or attitudes. NPDs are very sensitive to cristicism. They may react with disdain, rage, or defiant counter-attack when they feel wronged or injured. Feelings of shame or humiation and self-crirticism may be associated with social withdrawal, depressed mood, and and dsythymic or major depressive disorder. Substained periods of grandiosity may be associated with a hypomanic mood. So the person may show mood swings but is unlikely to truly delsusional. Heh- you've just described my ex-wife from hell. Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MellowYellow Posted June 27, 2005 Author Share Posted June 27, 2005 Great list, Erika. I was able to identify every one of those behaviors in the friend I mentioned. Pretty scary, and I'd think, embarrassing, PD to have. People are gonna talk, but the things in that list really give people something to talk about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemini Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Mellow -- are you really asking because this is a friend? Like, do you want to help them? Or just judge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ella Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Pretty scary, and I'd think, embarrassing, PD to have. I think the same could be said about Borderline PD. Or any PD. I feel pretty much the same way Jemini does; we're all in this together. If you have a PD, there really isn't any room for criticism of others and their particular brand of behavioral dysfunction. This is my take on things: I think that when a person finds herself trash-talking her friend to others, that's a pretty clear indicator that the friendship isn't worth the time or energy it takes to sustain it. If you don't respect a person, how can you like them enough to want to spend time with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemini Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Yeah have a heart. Please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ella Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Ah. Um. Er. Mellow, I just caught your thread on the depression board and wanted to apologize for being so blunt in my previous post. If I'd known you were going through a rough patch I would've phrased things differently...or just kept my mouth shut (I need to get a ziploc seal for that thing someday). This subject is particularly triggery for me... I know you aren't real happy with yourself right now (who could be in your present state of mind), and I hope you'll try extra hard to be kind to and compassionate with yourself. Fight those negative, critical inner voices, Ok? Don't let them get the better of you. You deserve kindness. I hope you feel better soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemini Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Yeah wow Mellow I hope (when you read this...) that you're doing OK. Let us know -- I promise I won't hear you as histrionic or whatever. I've been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanlynn Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Wow! 'Prefer to think I'm ptsd, more than PD, but whatever! Hello! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MellowYellow Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Mellow -- are you really asking because this is a friend? Like, do you want to help them? Or just judge? Because I have an insatiable desire to analyze everyone and understand everything. Yes this friend hurt me and others, but I'm not throwing that label around all over the place, and I'm keeping my mouth shut about her. I always need to know what drives people; what motivates them to act like they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemini Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Have I hurt you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dweii Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I know a girl which seems pretty normal to me that has NPD. She's medicated though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ella Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Mellow, just letting you know, for the purpose of edification, your post didn't come across that way. It did seem a bit judgmental in tone. Because I have an insatiable desire to let people know when their comments/behavior could have a detrimental effect on others, whatever the intent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanlynn Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Yes! I need emotional hurt! Maybe I've come to the right place. My glib, judgemental, thoughtless speech- is that lability, atbi, personality disorder, or Tegretol? Wow!!! Pain is the thing, or should I say one of many. Best wishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ella Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Yes! I need emotional hurt! Maybe I've come to the right place. My glib, judgemental, thoughtless speech- is that lability, atbi, personality disorder, or Tegretol? Wow!!! Pain is the thing, or should I say one of many. Best wishes! Susan, are you responding to my posts, Mellow's, or Jemini's? Sorry, but I just can't make heads nor tails of what you're saying (currently unmedicated and head is filled with fuzz), and I'm wondering if I've offended you. What is "atbi"? I don't think I've ever seen that abbreviation before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MellowYellow Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Have I hurt you? No, not at all! I love to write and read and talk about Personality Disorders, and people get a little touchy about it, but I'm no hypocrite. I have Borderline PD. In fact, I have read three books on Passive Aggressive, and I am enthralled with that one. I think the guy who discovered it as a classification was a genius. I believe he was a military psychiatrist and he found many men acquired that mode of coping in the military. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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