NPD includes a deep need for unnecessary attention and appreciation. People with NPD are selfish and have a sense of qualification. They have poor relationships and an increased sense of snobbiness in NPD. There are different kinds of narcissists according to various classifications.

Table of Contents

Nine Signs Of NPD

I have talked about the signs of a narcissist below.

Greatness

Magnified feelings
Superiority feeling that deserves special treatment
Unlimited success, shine, power, beauty, and love often go with feelings of love, hate, fear, etc.

Increased need for appreciation

Need special praise
Want to be the center of attention
Fake discussions
Patients feel mistreated well and get angry when ignored.

Shallow affairs

Surface attributes form the basis of their relations.

There is no basis for relationships on any clearly stated quality of others.

They value people only as long as they are efficient.

Lack of sympathy

Narcissists lack emotional needs and the ability to care for their dear ones.

Identity disturbance

Affairs are shallow, very strict, and often delicate and breakable
Strength depends on maintaining the image of oneself as important/famous
Threatened feelings of greatness
Patients deny the reality of questioning their quality of being better than others

Very hard to attach and depend. It varies with different kinds of narcissists thereby.

Depending on reactions from the surroundings
Relationships exist only to strengthen positive self-confidence and image.
The relations are shallow.
Avoiding emotional closeness

Awful feelings of emptiness when attention and praise are unavailable.

They get bored, upset, and depressed if not admired.

Difficulty in beginning and building on reality-based goals.
NPD plays a significant factor in suicide and suicide attempts.

The different kinds of narcissists according to broader classification

Some researchers focus on five different kinds of narcissists which I have discussed below.

Overt narcissism

A person with this NPD type can have the qualities I have talked about them below.

Exaggerated self-image
Need praise and appreciation
Lack of empathy
Bold and obnoxious
Right to do anything
Oppressive

Covert narcissism

Most people consider narcissism as a noisy feature. But this NPD type does not support this model. Instead, the particular features of people with this NPD type are as follows.

Low self-confidence
Shy
Doubts or low confidence
Being defensive
Avoidance
The habit of playing the victim

Antagonistic Narcissism

This aspect of narcissism focuses on competition and rivalry. I have talked about some features of this disorder below.

Bold obnoxiousness
A habit of using others
Desire to fight against others
Delicate

Communal Narcissism

Communal narcissism is a type of overt narcissism. It is the opposite of antagonistic narcissism. People having this sickness may value fairness and think about themselves as kind. We find a break-in between these beliefs and their behavior. People with this sickness own the following qualities.

Easy to get angry
Explain themselves as very kind and understanding

Malignant Narcissism

Narcissism can exist at different levels of seriousness. Yet this NPD type is the worst form. It can cause more problems for the patient. Experts relate malignant narcissism to overt narcissism. People with this NPD type can share many attributes of NPD. These qualities include praise from others and a strong need for uplifting. But besides that, this NPD type can manifest itself in the following ways.

Feeling of revenge
Happiness in the pain of others
Aggression when talking to others

According to productivity

Some studies divide different kinds of narcissists into two types. It helps show the difference between the productive and non-productive parts of NPD. I have talked about them below.

Adaptive Narcissism

This NPD type refers to the helpful parts of NPD. These aspects include high self-confidence, self-sureness, and the ability to like oneself.

Maladaptive Narcissism

Experts link this NPD type with personal qualities that do not benefit you. Instead, these qualities can negatively affect your feelings about yourself and others. These feelings include entitlement and the need to take advantage of others. It may be because of signs of NPD. When most people talk about narcissism, they usually refer to this type of NPD. It is now important that I mention the diagnosis and causes of NPD.

Causes of NPD

The cause of NPD is unknown. Some experts believe that overprotective or neglected parenting may affect children. Genes and brain science play their part in the development of NPD. I have talked about the most important causes below.

Child abuse or ignorance
Too much parental care
Unreal parental expectations
Cultural effects

Diagnosing Different Types Of Narcs

We identify this disease using DSM-5. It must meet five of the nine aspects to identify this disease. I have listed them below.

Great sense of snobbiness
Occupied with the fantasy of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, and love.
Believing they should be unique. Or, we should link them to other rare or high-ranking people or institutions.
Needs excessive praise and appreciation
Sense of entitlement
Taking advantage of others
Lack of understanding of feelings
Jealous of others, or believe that others are jealous of him
Showing off a bold and obnoxious attitude

Treatment options

There is no such cure, but therapy can help a lot. The goal is to increase the person’s low self-confidence. We practice it so that they have more reality-based expectations of others. Treatment usually centers on talk therapy. Long-term counseling is the most important treatment for NPD. It will help you better understand the problem and the changes you can make to:

Treat others in a positive and rewarding way
Foster healthy self-confidence
Have more realistic expectations for others

We can adopt the following steps to handle a narcissist:

Educate yourself

Try to find out more about the issue. It can help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of a narcissist. You can learn how to deal with narcissists better.

Create borders

Be clear about your limits and borders.

Speak up for yourself

When you need something, be clear and concise about it.

Therapists may recommend medicines to treat signs such as anxiety and depression. I have talked about the medicines involved below.

Antidepressants

These medicines treat depression. Health experts usually prescribe SSRIs. This class of drugs has fewer side effects than other drugs that reduce depression.