narcissistic personality disorder

narcissistic personality disorder

[när′sisis′tik]

a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance and uniqueness, an abnormal need for attention and admiration, preoccupation with grandiose fantasies concerning the self, and disturbances in interpersonal relationships, usually involving the exploitation of others and a lack of empathy.

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narcissistic personality disorder 

a personality disorder marked by a grandiose sense of self-importance. Patients are preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. In spite of these fantasies, they are troubled by a sense of inadequacy and respond to criticism, defeat, or rejection either by indifference or by feelings of rage, shame, humiliation, or emptiness. Their relationships with others are disturbed by expectations of special favors, exploitativeness, overidealization and devaluation of others, and a lack of empathy.

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narcissistic personality disorder

Autophilia, narcism, narcissism, self-centeredness, self-love Psychiatry A condition characterized by '…a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy that begins in early adulthood…'; ±1% of the general population, and 2-16% of the clinical population has NPD. See Autoeroticism, Autosexual.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder > 5 of following criteria

1. Requires excessive admiration

2. Grandiose sense of self-importance; believes self to be superior

3. Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance

4. Believes that he/she is special and should have only the best

5. Has sense of entitlement, ie deserves special favors or treatment

6. Exploits interpersonal relations, ie takes advantage of others

7. Lacks empathy and concern for others

8. Is envious of others or believes them to be envious of him/her

9. Displays arrogance

Modified from *Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4^th ed, Am Psychiatric Asso, 1994