Narcissist Has No Friends
Narcissists treat their friends like Watson and Hastings, who are obsequious and unthreatening, and provide them with an adulating gallery. Narcissists cannot empathize or love, and therefore have no real friends. They are interested in securing narcissistic supply from narcissistic supply sources. The narcissist overvalues people when they are judged to be potential sources of supply, and devalues them when no longer able to supply him, ultimately leading to the alienation and distancing of people.
Narcissist: Irresistible Charmer
Narcissists use charm to manipulate and control others, seeking attention and admiration. They use their charisma to exert power over people and view those they charm as objects for their gratification. Pathological charm can involve sadism and is used to maintain object constancy and fend off abandonment. Narcissists react with rage and aggression when their charm fails to elicit narcissistic supply, revealing their true predatory nature.
Narcissist’s Sadistic Inner Judge and Critic
The narcissist is tormented by a sadistic superego, which is an amalgamation of negative evaluations, criticisms, angry or disappointed voices and disparagement meted out in the narcissist’s formative years and adolescence by parents, peers, role models and authority figures. The narcissist’s sense of self-worth is catapulted from one pole to another, from an inflated view of himself to utter despair and self-denigration. The narcissist needs narcissistic supply to regulate this wild pendulum. The narcissist’s whole life is a two-fold attempt to both satisfy the inexorable demands of his inner tribunal and to prove wrong its harsh and merciless criticism.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder Prevalence and Comorbidity
Pathological narcissism is a lifelong pattern of traits and behaviors that signify infatuation and obsession with oneself to the exclusion of all others. Healthy narcissism is adaptive, flexible, empathic, and causes elation and joy. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is diagnosed in between 2 and 16% of a population in clinical settings or between 0.5% and 1% of the general population. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is often diagnosed with other mental health disorders, and this is known as comorbidity.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder Clinical Features
Narcissistic traits in childhood may lead to full-fledged narcissistic personality disorder later in life, especially if the child has experienced abuse or trauma. Narcissists use a false self to garner attention, or “narcissistic supply,” which helps them cope with pain and feel important. Narcissists are vulnerable to criticism and disagreement, and they struggle to maintain healthy relationships. Treatment for narcissistic personality disorder includes talk therapy and medication, but the prognosis for an adult with the disorder is poor.
Addict Narcissists: Substance Abuse and Reckless Behaviors
Pathological narcissism is an addiction to narcissistic supply, which is the narcissist’s drug of choice. Other addictive and reckless behaviors such as war-camelism, alcoholism, drug abuse, pathological gambling, compulsory shopping, reckless driving, and even compulsive lying, piggyback on this primary dependence on narcissistic supply. The narcissist’s addictive behaviors take his mind off his inherent limitations and bridge the gap between his unrealistic expectations of life and his inflated self-image. There is no point in treating the dependence and recklessness of the narcissist without first treating the underlying personality disorder.
Narcissistic Serial and Mass Killers
Serial killers and malignant narcissists share a lack of empathy, grandiose fantasies, and a sense of entitlement. Both objectify people and treat them as extensions of themselves. Serial killers seek to render their victims immobile to avoid abandonment or humiliation, and they believe they are improving their victims by killing them. The narcissist’s life is a repetition complex, and the serial killer’s murders recreate earlier conflicts with meaningful objects. Both represent a dual failure of their own development and of the culture and society they grew in.
Cyber (Internet) Narcissists and Psychopaths
The internet is a paradise for narcissists, as it provides an endless supply of attention and false identities. Narcissists are prone to internet addiction as it fulfills their emotional needs, but they are not interested in expanding their horizons or fostering true relationships. The internet is an egalitarian medium, which discomforts the narcissist as it lacks a clear hierarchy. However, the internet may also be the closest that the narcissist gets to psychodynamic therapy, as it allows them to project their experiences, fears, hopes, and prejudices onto others.
Love as Biochemical Pathology
Falling in love is similar to a mental health pathology, with changes in behavior and biochemistry resembling psychosis and substance abuse. Love is addictive and akin to cocaine and speed, with sex intended to bind partners long enough to bond. Falling in love involves the enhanced secretion of PEA, or the love chemical, which creates a euphoric high and helps obscure the failings and shortcomings of the potential mate. Love in all its phases and manifestations is an addiction, probably to the various forms of internally secreted norepinephrine, such as the aforementioned amphetamine-like PEA.
Narcissistic and Psychopathic Politicians and Leaders
Narcissistic or psychopathic leaders are a product of their society and culture, and their mental health pathologies resonate with their followers. They create a personality cult with all the hallmarks of an institutional religion, and their reign is all smoke and mirrors, devoid of substance. When their regime ends, the entire edifice crumbles, leaving behind a massive, collective, post-traumatic stress disorder.