Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is characterized by a constant pattern of magnificence, their need for self-admiration or special treatment, and an illusion of lasting power or importance. Narcissism in children can cause problems in their relationships in the longer run. NPD is a much more complex and advanced mental condition when compared to only narcissism. About 50 to 75% of all people diagnosed with NPD are males (1). Untreated NPD in children may lead to several complications as children grow in age. Continue reading this post to learn about the signs, causes, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and home-care for children with NPD.
What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
When a personality disorder is related to a person’s immense love for oneself, self-admiration and importance and one’s own requirements, desires and well-being, it is called narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) (1). The child believes they are superior and deserve to be treated better than anyone else. They also have complete disregard for the feelings of others. However, simple self-love or selfishness cannot be termed as NPD. Let’s see how a child with NPD is different from a child without NPD.
A Child With NPD Vs. A Child Without NPD
Here are some key differences between children with and without NPD (2): Back to top
Signs/ traits Of NPD In a Child
The following traits, if occurring together, can be the signs of a typical narcissist (3) (4):
High levels of self-importance Unpractical ideas of limitless achievements and power Feel that they are entitled to everything they ask for Gaze aversion, wherein they do not look into the eyes of the speaker Separation anxiety Pathologic play Believe that they are better than all the other kids around Expect enormous respect and adoration Opportunistic behavioral pattern Don’t understand the needs of fellow beings Arrogance Exaggerate their personal abilities or success Exploitative nature Envious of others’ achievements Formal manners even in personal and close relationships Inability to take constructive criticism and get hurt or insulted easily Blame others for their failures
If you think that your child is on the higher side of most of these traits, then they might be having NPD. But how could a child have such a personality disorder?
Causes Of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
The exact causes of narcissistic personality disorder are unknown. However, several factors like early childhood experiences, ambiance and psychological causes are thought to result in such mental conditions (5). Some of the reasons could be:
Negligent parenting, parents being detached or unresponsive to the child’s care.
Codependent parenting, where the fine line between being protective and over-protective, love and obsession is not maintained.
Excessive pampering in childhood or making the kid the golden child of the family, where anything they do is praised indiscriminately.
Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS, MSW, a New Orleans, Louisiana-based psychotherapist, consultant, and author, says, “I often see parents who are scared to say no to a child due to fears of hurting their feelings. Sometimes they overvalue the child above all other children, or even above all other needs of the parents or the family. This creates a child who believes they are more entitled and more important than other human beings.”
Excessive pampering can also make one a narcissistic extension child, meaning that they are supplied with the admiration or attention they demand.
Narcissistic parents can affect their kids. Such parents see the child’s individuality as a threat, and curb it. Such behavior, in turn, makes the kid a narcissist when they grow up, thinking this is normal.
Too much negative criticism makes kids feel inadequate and bad about themselves, so they develop narcissism as a defence mechanism.
Being an adopted child or having divorced parents can make a child insecure and vulnerable. They often don’t feel loved, so self-love helps them carry on in life.
Irrational expectations from parents can make a child think either too highly or too low of themselves. Both conditions can lead to narcissism.
Abuse of any sort can make people feel victimized and unloved. They become narcissists unknowingly and prefer not having to see the world in its entirety.
Hypersensitive children have a chance of getting narcissistic.
Genetic anomaly or some genetic aberration can lead to this mental condition due to some changes in the brain.
NPD is not life-threatening but it is good to get it diagnosed and treated for the child to have a better behavior and social life.
Diagnosis Of NPD
The process of diagnosis will involve a few of these steps (6) (1):
The doctor will initially evaluate the child’s mental health.
They will talk to the child to understand their level of self-love and importance.
The child’s behavior towards the therapists is also analyzed to know whether they are condescending or cordial.
A physical examination may be done to eliminate other physical conditions that may cause the symptoms.
If no other cause is found, the doctor will come up with a mental healthcare plan specific to the child.
The diagnosis of NPD usually involves understanding the patient psychologically; therefore, the doctors use questionnaires, assessment activities, and scale tests.
The doctor may ask questions on the child’s academic performance, quality of friendships, number of friends, etc.
Diagnosis is also done to check if the condition is narcissistic personality disorder or something else such as hypomania.
The expert also observes if the NPD symptoms or characteristics displayed by the child are persistent and not phase or mood-based.
A common belief is that a person diagnosed with a mentally complex condition tends to remain like that all throughout their life. But NPD is manageable.
Treatment For NPD
The most effective treatment therapy for narcissistic personality disorder is psychotherapy instead of an outright medicinal treatment. Some of the widely used therapeutic models are: Doctors prescribe antidepressant medicines to some, as they tend to get depressed and suffer from anxiety. Otherwise, no specific medication is used for the child. It is important for the child and the parents to follow the treatment process to avoid any future complications.
Complications Arising From NPD
Gillis says, “Narcissistic children often go on to be narcissistic adults unless they work on developing empathy and insight into their behaviors and how they impact others.” Possible complications that may arise from narcissistic personality disorder are (10) :
Indulgence in drugs or alcohol when they grow up. Relationship crisis with friends and family. Getting socially awkward and lacking a social circle. Difficult relationships at school and home.
You can avoid the long-term damage by complementing the treatment with personal care at home.
Homecare For A Child With NPD
If you observe that your child is showing the traits of narcissism, help them understand the dynamics of emotional and social relationships with these tips:
