What causes narcissistic personality disorder?
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, it may affect 0.5% to 5% of Americans, according to research data. Men and those assigned male at birth are affected in between 50% and 75% of cases. However, a lot of people are very good at hiding their narcissistic traits, so it can be challenging to determine whether or not they have this disorder.
Narcissistic personality disorder: What causes it? In actuality, there is no known cause for NPD, although several possible causes have been found. NPD is most likely caused by a combination of factors. Instead, scientists think that many factors may contribute to an individual’s development of NPD.
The sad thing is that people with narcissistic personality disorder are born with this predisposition, and their need for validation and support from others around them is bigger, if they’re also raised in an unhealthy family environment, the outcome can be quite devastating and harsh.
However, some of the possible causes of this disorder are:
(Bad) Parenting
Some studies have connected narcissistic personality disorder to a wide range of parental behaviors. While some parenting behaviors, like abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, are intentionally harmful, other behaviors can result from parents who genuinely mean well.
For instance, some studies have demonstrated that being overly protective raises the risk of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Additionally, there is a link between parental leniency or overvaluation and narcissistic personality disorder. Later in life, children who aren’t given boundaries or who receive excessive praise for their achievements are more likely to exhibit characteristics associated with NPD.
Moreover, it has been shown that criticism from other authority figures, such as teachers, can have a similar impact, excessive parental criticism can raise the risk for NPD.
Although there are many ways that parenting affects kids, it’s crucial to remember that no one parenting approach can lead to NPD. Consequently, certainly, narcissistic personality disorder is not always caused by parental behaviors, even though some parenting techniques are associated with higher levels of narcissism.
