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What Causes Narcissistic Personality Disorder? 

December 12, 2024 · Mental Health
narcissistic personality disorder
Photo by MDV Edwards from Shutterstock

Sociocultural background

The emphasis on achievement, celebrity, and outside approval in contemporary culture can encourage narcissistic tendencies. People may internalize the idea that one’s value is determined by one’s accomplishments or outward appearance in societies that value individualism over community.

Social media often makes it easier for people to seek validation and admiration in ways that can feel more commercialized. It can be tough when your sense of worth becomes tied to likes and shares! People may feel pressured to fit in by unrealistic social expectations, which can lead to a totally wrong quest for perfection.

These ideals have the potential to alter one’s perception of oneself and impair emotional health when they take precedence over genuine connections and personal authenticity. These factors may worsen vulnerabilities over time, creating the conditions for narcissistic tendencies to develop into a personality disorder. They say to choose your friends and the people you surround yourself with carefully, and it’s 100% true!

Can narcissistic personality disorder be treated?

The answer is yes. It can be treated, and it’s important to be done as soon as possible; otherwise, it can lead to serious life changes for both the person who suffers from it and for all the people around them as well. While medications per se aren’t exactly the straightforward path to recovery, psychotherapy is. And since there are a lot of therapy methods, before starting any, it’s advised to talk to a specialist.

The best treatment for narcissistic personality disorder is thought to be cognitive behavioral therapy combined with medication (anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, and antidepressants are the most recommended ones that may help with all the symptoms related to the disorder).

  • Related article: Evil but Common Things Narcissists Do After a Breakup. 
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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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