In an age where how a person look is more important than what a person is, is more critical, accepting oneself and a high self-esteem is always welcome. It is an accepted fact that everything is okay when it is practiced in moderation. This rule applies to our self-esteem as well. A high self-esteem is always appreciated, but the problem begins when in the process of admiring ourselves, we disregard others. Being selfish or being self-centered is a part of the human nature. But, when this selfish streak takes on a more aggressive turn is when a problem arises.

This tendency to be overly-confident about oneself and disregard other people’s feeling can be termed as a mental illness as well. When an individual is so smitten by himself and abhors other human beings around him, we can conclude that the person suffers from narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder derives its name from an anecdote from ancient Greece. There was a young man named Narcissus, who fell in love with his reflection and lost his will to live. He died staring at his reflection. Since Narcissus is symbolic of self-destructive love, this disorder is named after him.

As there’s a thin line between being selfish and suffering from the narcissistic personality disorder, one needs to be aware of the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorders to diagnose it and avail timely treatment for the individual suffering from the same.

Narcissistic personality disorder manifests itself in the form of the following symptoms.

• Exaggerated self-importance

One of the most common symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder is a sense of inflated self-importance. The person would feel that the entire world revolves around them. This false sense of self-importance would cause a lot of problems for the individual suffering from narcissistic personality disorder and those who are close to him.

• Highly averse to criticism

People suffering from narcissistic personality disorders are highly reluctant to criticism. Since they have this opinion that they are perfect, and the rest of the general population isn’t on par with them, they do not take kindly to criticism. This criticism doesn’t have to be extreme; even a small comment can offend such people easily.

• Power-hungry

One of the most identifiable symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder is that the individual is power-hungry. Since these people believe that they are incredibly talented, they are entitled to a position of power. And, if such an individual does acquire a dominant position, the chances are high that the person might abuse their powers. ‘power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,’ this statement holds true in such cases.

• Lack of empathy

Lack of empathy is what characterizes the essence of narcissistic personality disorder. The person suffering from this disorder might lack empathy. They might not understand the sufferings of other people, and sometimes, this pain is inflicted by them on the supposedly ‘inferior’ individuals. This lack of empathy can be quite dangerous since the person fails to experience emotions that make them human.

• Craving for attention

Since these individuals have a high opinion of themselves, they are of the idea that they have a right to receive everyone’s attention. It would be apt to say that they are fond of being the center of attention. In case the person doesn’t receive the attention he wants, he might resort to unpleasant techniques which would forcibly draw everyone’s attention. This craving for care can be detrimental to the people around an individual suffering from narcissistic personality disorder.

• Self-esteem issues

Though people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder radiate confidence, in reality, it’s quite the contrary. These people have to deal with low self-esteem issues. Since they suffer from low self-esteem, they would try to degrade other people with the intention that this might improve their self-esteem. In addition to this, such people derive a sadistic pleasure in inflicting pain on unsuspecting individuals.

• Unrealistic expectations

Since such people tend to overestimate their abilities, they have certain unrealistic expectations of life. These unrealistic expectations would result in the setting of unrealistic goals. If these goals are not fulfilled, the individual might lash out aggressively at his beloved ones. It is an accepted fact the people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder rejoice at other people’s pain.

• Risk of addiction

A person suffering from narcissistic personality disorder is at a high risk of developing an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Since their expectations are not fulfilled, they might turn to alcohol or drugs to find solace. An addiction and narcissistic personality disorder is a fatal combination. The addiction might bring out the worst in the person and aggravate the symptoms of the same.

When a person starts showing symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder, timely psychiatric treatment will help the individual recover. And, the ignorance of the same can prove fatal in some cases.