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What Causes Narcissistic Personality Disorder? 

December 12, 2024 · Mental Health
Photo by MiniStocker from Shutterstock

Genetics

Research indicates that common personality traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder, such as grandiosity and entitlement, may be passed down from older generations. Although their diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder may raise the likelihood that their children will acquire it, parents with NPD are unlikely to pass these traits on to the next generation.

Additionally, some people are probably genetically predisposed to NPD. Even though they might not go on to exhibit narcissistic traits, exposure to specific risk factors may put them at higher risk for NPD.

Have you ever met a narcissist, or worse, were you somehow involved with one? If so, then you’re probably stronger than you thought you were. Narcissists are so manipulative they can easily damage your mental health without you even noticing it. 

However, if you’re still stuck with that person and going to therapy isn’t fit for you or your finances at this moment, then you may want to check out the book How to Handle a Narcissist: Understanding and Dealing with a Range of Narcissistic Personalities.

Written after years of research on this topic, this guide might be able to help you understand this condition better and, more importantly, how to get over a failed relationship with a narcissist. The book is available on Amazon at this link. 

Molecular imbalance

Another root cause of narcissistic personality disorder may be a molecular imbalance that can strain the body. Scientists say that various brain scans show that people who suffer from this condition have less gray matter in that part of the brain that shows empathy. Now it all makes sense, right?

Neuroscientists have also discovered a connection between differences in prefrontal brain structure and NPD. In the future, it may be possible to identify narcissistic personality traits simply by examining a person’s brain, but more research is needed.

So that means that we could go to the doctor with our partner for a regular checkup and ask for a brain scan too? Would be easier for sure! Then probably a lot of people would break up with the narcissist right away.

According to some researchers, physical characteristics or appearance may even play a role in NPD. Strength, physical attractiveness, and athletic prowess are all linked to higher narcissistic traits. After all, a person’s appearance is just one of many factors that are thought to influence their personality.

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5 responses to “What Causes Narcissistic Personality Disorder? ”

  1. Nan says:
    January 23, 2025 at 5:40 pm

    I have been married to the same man for 45 years, and he is definitely a narcissist. He is extremely controlling, doesn’t know how to apologize/provide encouragement//give compliments to me or our children. On the other hand, he is giving and has always been an amazingly generous provider.

    Reply
  2. Rena Chase says:
    January 24, 2025 at 2:25 am

    I feel like my sister is narcissist person she has to have birth control of everyone and she doesn’t like someone knowing something more than she does she makes everybody kind of ignore that person when my father and mother made their trust well she forged my name and took my name off of it and then had 19 people be Witnesses which I wasn’t even there for it to get notarized then when my father died I wasn’t allowed any of the house I took everything she wanted before she allowed my brother to go in and then I wasn’t allowed to go in until after they sold the house and they had thrown all my stuff away she has caused so much trouble in the family it’s unbelievable she knows people so she kind of buys people thinking what you want so you do he put my mom in a nursing home she sold her house without my mother even knowing what she was signing she has done everything sneaky and when I catch up with what and confront her she ignores me tells me she’s me and then turns my brothers against me telling them she knows more than I do and not to trust me she took all my mother’s money she puts in septic systems for living her husband does she charge my mother which he owns a house right beside my mother she needed a new subject system too to hook up to the town well that’s what they do for a living so she’s like hers and she did my mother’s both at the same time with her company truck in your companies everything and then turns around and give my mom a bill of 40,000 she lies to people like crazy and when they capture and arrive she has another excuse she has not spoken to me in 10 years when I was going to my divorce she came to my house took all my ex’s stuff put him in her bed and throw out the door that’s not what I want it so when she said that I told her to get out of my house and I took all the stuff back again she lied under oath cuz she was never even there and my brother Craig is the witness that my father said I never ever leave he and dawned him my father told my brother that my sister lied on the stand and then I had not was not allowed to go near my parents at all and she called elderly abuse on me when that when sour on her she has nothing to do with my mother now that she’s in the nursing home she took off her money she will not answer to where all the money went of a sale of the house but I have no idea what to do haha to find out where all the money of the house went the house went for 550,000 in this not one thing around

    Reply
    • Margo says:
      February 18, 2025 at 9:34 pm

      Sorry this has happened to you. I’m sorry to say sometimes it’s best to walk away from people like this . Money isn’t everything nor is DNA. Leave your family behind you. Move far away and live your best life. You deserve to be happy. And please use periods when you write.

      Reply
  3. Bob says:
    January 24, 2025 at 7:55 am

    Excellent article.

    Reply
  4. Luis A Baquedo says:
    February 3, 2025 at 2:25 am

    Very educational article in this subject. It gives me a better understanding of this psychological condition and how to deal with it in my relationship with people suffering from this condition. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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