The narcissist is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, and prestige.[2] Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness.
From wikipedia.
Is it just me, or are you surrounded with people like this (and I'm not talking about those of you that work in psych specifically?)
Seems like everybody I come across these days at work and in other arenas displays many if not all of these characteristics, and it is by no means just the doctors. How about those nurses that still wear the cap/white dress to work? I have to think they do that in part because they have some sort of unfulfilled psychological need. It's certainly not practical anymore.
Can I just throw out there a big huge "GET OVER YOURSELF!" ?!?!?
I have to admit, the generational differences discussion tends to set my teeth on edge. While there are obviously many self-entitled, narcissistic, and unrealistic people out of my generation, I hate that they define my entire generation. It's probably because I don't like the idea of being lumped in, when I wasn't raised with the 'you're a 'speshul' snowflake' attitude and have worked hard to get where I am, supporting myself, and at times keeping my own family together (I'm the oldest of 6).
You know, all generations have their stereotypes. Myself, as an X, has to deal with the no-direction, hateful, angst-ridden, "whatever" stereotype, and I'm definitely an adult now, and past whatever THAT was in me (or not in me) at the time. Whether it applies to you or not is just that -- a stereotype. It obviously does apply to some, or the stereotype wouldn't be there.
I'm one of those hippie-ish, have a "Coexist" sticker on my bumper types. I try not to tell anyone that they are too much of anything, but if the shoe fits.....
And I always thought most nurses have OCD......on our IV team we swear we all have it! You know...check, check, check......check again.......check. OK, let's put the PICC in.....PICC assistant nurse comes along.....check, check, check.....just one more....check. LOL. That, and we can't stand not to get an IV in....or leave something for the next shift to do. And then....check.....
We do have a tendency to pathologize quirks and eccentricities. The oddities and variations that make us individuals should not routinely be classified as psych conditions, even if they are irritating or inconvenient.
That said, it's time to investigate psych possibilities when a person's ability to function is badly compromised and/or the people around them are seriously affected by their symptoms.
Personality disorders are especially challenging, as they are highly resistant to treatment and generally do not respond directly to medications. Meds can help some of the conditions that can accompany personality disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.), but they don't really help with the disorders themselves.
Most personality disorders are believed to be emotional development that arrested at an infantile or early childhood stage. The younger the age of arrest, the worse the prognosis.
Human infants are little sociopaths at birth. It's truly all about them. They want what they want when they want it, and they literally feed off of others. They insist on getting their way and do not care about anything except themselves.
We socialize babies with love and attention and forge the connections that will allow them to grow out of this self-centered and demanding stage. But if there is no connection to build on, the person does not transcend infantile functioning in the emotional realm. They will mature physically and cognitively, but without bonding with other human beings, they cannot develop the empathy that allows people to treat each other with caring and kindness.
The borderline folks arrest sometime during the preschool age. If you compare a borderline patient with a little kid you will see a lot of parallels--impulsive behavior, exaggerated fears and appetites, impaired ability to read their own body signals (sometimes don't realize that they are tired or ill), dramatic gestures (temper tantrums, wailing, disproportionate anger, hyper laughter, etc.), willingness to trust the wrong people (who look like fun), reluctance to trust the safe people (who look mean and limiting), manipulation, wheedling, threatening, and the list goes on.
Almost all of us exhibit a bit of childishness from time to time. It's the folks who behave this way most of the time and who may be stuck at that earlier stage that merit a real psych eval. Such people may have lives that are spinning out of control (more typical of borderline patients). Or they may appear to be functioning fairly well, but they have alienated everyone around them (more typical of narcissists and sociopaths). Either way, their needs are far more profound than those of people who are just selfish and inconsiderate at a normal rate.
As a society, we have become more me-centered and less concerned about connection and caring for others. But these things run in cycles. Hopefully, the pendulum will start to swing back to the other side sometime soon. We need to look out for one another.
grandmawrinkle
272 Posts
You know, all generations have their stereotypes. Myself, as an X, has to deal with the no-direction, hateful, angst-ridden, "whatever" stereotype, and I'm definitely an adult now, and past whatever THAT was in me (or not in me) at the time. Whether it applies to you or not is just that -- a stereotype. It obviously does apply to some, or the stereotype wouldn't be there.
I'm one of those hippie-ish, have a "Coexist" sticker on my bumper types. I try not to tell anyone that they are too much of anything, but if the shoe fits.....