How Narcissism *Really* Looks- Part I

Earlier this week, a couple of different individuals on the blogosphere posted entries on the topic of narcissism among students. I am specifically referring to this post by Owen and this entry by Michael Liccione. This topic is of great interest to me since I have anecdotally noted this same trend recently among my friends, family, and colleagues. I only wish I had blogged about it here so that I could have the pleasure of saying, “I told you so.”

First, I’d like to indicate the reason why this is a topic of interest to me. I recently completed my undergraduate studies in psychology and I have been recommended for honor's admission to graduate school. In fact, I have just recently received an interview date for March 9, 2007, and I would like to request the prayers of any who may be reading this. Upon acceptance (grant this O Lord), I plan to eventually work towards a doctorate degree in clinical neuropscyhology. In the meantime, I am working fulltime at a community mental health agency. I am responsible for facilitating groups where I (hopefully) teach life skills and basic self care to individuals with long standing, persistent mental illness. I never write about my job or my clients for reasons of confidentiality. Also, it may be interesting for someone else to listen to my rants about how one of my clients can hear voices emanating from her molars, but for someone who does it every day 9 to 5 (the work, not the voices), it is not especially exciting or out of the ordinary. Suffice it to say that the program where I work puts me into contact with individuals who are in need of very specific professional help. Hmm… I wonder if the Orthodox Church has a category for Holy Unmercenary Psychotherapists.

Finally, I’d like to note that in the process of writing this, my point of reference is of course the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition as it is for most mental health professionals in the United States of America. I am aware that many clinicians overseas- and even in this country- use the more internationally recognized The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. I am of the opinion that diagnostic categories in mental illness are only broad frameworks that assist in research and in the communication between clinicians. Rarely will you find a perfect textbook case client who manifests a picture perfect consistent case of X illness with every single criteria present. People are people… not words on a page, and a diagnosis will never be able to fully illustrate an individual’s story. Furthermore, I am somewhat inclined to agree with the concept of schizotypy rather than the medically influenced categorical view of mental illness. In laymen’s terms that simply means that I hold to a view of mental illness that sees full blown manifestations of mental illness as extremes on a continuum, not as a category where you are either “in” or “out”. This concept usually applies to psychosis, but I would extend it to the personality disorders as well.

We should clear up some terminology first. The article in question cited by Mike L never says that there are more students walking around with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It talks about the trait of narcissism which can even include healthy narcissism. Indeed, I would find it hard to believe that our nation’s universities are populated by individuals suffering from the “inflexible and pervasive” pattern of behavior “across a broad range of personal and social situations” that the DSM lists as necessary for one to be diagnosed with a personality disorder. This is especially true considering that for one to seek professional help, this pattern usually must lead to “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning”. Mike even notes as much when he acknowledges the existence of the disorder and voices his (I’m guessing uninformed) opinion “there aren't that many NPDers walking around, torturing those around them.” If we take a caricatured view of the issue, then I guess I can agree. But not every narcissistically disordered individual is a movie star villain whose grandiosity is vocalized at every turn. My professors for both abnormal psychology and personality theory were quite clear in their insistence that clients seeking help for personality disorders most often seek help due to their longstanding failures in relationships, especially romantic ones. Not all people around the disordered individuals are constantly tortured, Mike. Just the ones closest to them.

The second part that I disagree with is the way that Mike minimizes the extent of the problem, especially in its more bearable and mundane form. Mike insists that aside from the extremely disturbed individuals, “…we stop worrying. Reality has a way of curing garden-variety narcissism. We need to be more worried about how terrible so many people really feel about themselves.” I have to laugh at this. The “reality” of life the way it used to be, say, before the Industrial Revolution may have cured garden-variety narcissism. However, the Reality-TV, self-esteem obsessed culture we have in 21st century America is hardly a way to experience reality. One has to have their head stuck in a hole to not realize this.

I have to get to work before I get behind in my paperwork, but in my follow up to this entry, I would like to illustrate exactly how lower and more subtle levels of narcissism look in the average population.