You may already be in a relationship with someone with narcissistic personality disorder, or you may want to know how to deal with this in a new relationship. Either way, it’s good to have an idea of how to recognize it.
How to instantly know if the person you love is a narcissist:
Related: If You’re Still Missing Your Narcissistic Ex After They’re Gone, Read This
Diagnostic features (also known as symptoms and signs) of narcissistic personality disorder (according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) include:
Great sense of self-importance
The need for excessive admiration
Lack of empathy or identification with the feelings and needs of others
A sense of entitlement, i.e. an unreasonable expectation of preferential treatment and compliance with one’s desires
Feeling envious of others or feeling that others are jealous of him
Displaying arrogant, contemptuous, exploitative, or condescending attitudes and behaviors toward others.
Narcissistic personality disorder can also be associated with substance use disorders.
You may notice that these traits are particularly common in teenagers, but they usually do not transition into BPD in adulthood.
Related: 12 Ways To Handle A Narcissistic Boss (And Get Ahead In Spite Of Them)
People with BPD do not generally show a tendency towards aggression, although they may feel very angry if they do not get what they want. Many successful people also display some of these narcissistic characteristics throughout their lives without necessarily having a narcissistic personality disorder. They may appear confident, assured, and strong. However, if these traits persist and cause functional or subjective distress, they are signs of BPD and will lead to problems for themselves and others.
Unfortunately, most individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have no desire to change. On the contrary, they often tend to blame others for their distress, making it difficult to confront or treat such people. There is no “cure” per se for narcissistic personality disorder. So, if you are in a relationship with such a person, what are you supposed to do?
First and foremost, it is important to encourage anyone who exhibits drug abuse to get treatment for it. It may be dangerous for the individual and those around him if this is not controlled. Check with mental health organizations in your community and Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous to see what resources are available in your area.
If you live with such a person and their symptoms persist or become severe, this may negatively affect your physical and emotional health.
Your self-esteem may decline and you may feel helpless or hopeless. You have to be careful of false hope when your partner apologizes and convinces you to stay in the relationship.
Make sure you have an exit plan so you don’t allow yourself to be manipulated into staying in an emotionally abusive relationship with this person. Make sure you have people you can call for support, friends or professionals.
Related: What It’s Really Like To Love A Narcissist
Fortunately, narcissistic disorder may not always be severe. If there is drug abuse that is being treated, there is a greater possibility of managing the condition.
#Here are some things you can do to manage and improve a relationship with someone with borderline personality disorder:
Acknowledge the narcissist’s positive behavior whenever you can
Set limits on excessive demands or abusive language.
Don’t respond at length to criticism or argue. Sometimes it’s better to ignore offensive comments than to try to defend yourself.
Following these guidelines can help establish a relationship with someone with borderline personality disorder.
One woman, who had lived with someone with BPD for several years, finally had a place of her own and was able to control the relationship more from there. One night when he invited her to dinner, she arrived to find that he had not prepared anything and expected her to do everything. She was tired and reminded him that he had invited her to dinner and that she did not want to cook that night. He reluctantly agreed to make dinner, which was a breakthrough for both of them.
