Narcissistic Personality Disorder

English
MENU SEARCH
Request an Appointment
Patient Care & Health Information Diseases & Conditions
Narcissistic personality
disorder
SECTIONS
Print
Overview
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health
condition in which people have an unreasonably high
sense of their own importance. They need and seek
too much attention and want people to admire them.
People with this disorder may lack the ability to
understand or care about the feelings of others. But
behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not
sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the
slightest criticism.
Advertisement
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
Advertising & Sponsorship
Policy Opportunities Ad Choices
A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in

many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school
or financial matters. People with narcissistic
personality disorder may be generally unhappy and
disappointed when they're not given the special favors
or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may
find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and
other people may not enjoy being around them.
Treatment for narcissistic personality disorder centers

around talk therapy, also called psychotherapy.
Narcissistic personality disorder affects more males

than females, and it often begins in the teens or early
adulthood. Some children may show traits of
narcissism, but this is often typical for their age and
doesn't mean they'll go on to develop narcissistic
personality disorder.
Products & Services
Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th

Edition
Show more products from Mayo Clinic
Symptoms
Symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder and how
severe they are can vary. People with the disorder can:
Have an unreasonably high sense of self-

importance and require constant, excessive
admiration.
Feel that they deserve privileges and special

treatment.
Expect to be recognized as superior even without

achievements.
Make achievements and talents seem bigger than

they are.
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success,

power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.
Believe they are superior to others and can only

spend time with or be understood by equally
special people.
Be critical of and look down on people they feel

are not important.
Expect special favors and expect other people to

do what they want without questioning them.
Take advantage of others to get what they want.
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the

needs and feelings of others.
Be envious of others and believe others envy

them.
Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come

across as conceited.
Insist on having the best of everything — for

instance, the best car or office.
At the same time, people with narcissistic personality

disorder have trouble handling anything they view as
criticism. They can:
Become impatient or angry when they don't

receive special recognition or treatment.
Have major problems interacting with others and

easily feel slighted.
React with rage or contempt and try to belittle

other people to make themselves appear
superior.
Have difficulty managing their emotions and

behavior.
Experience major problems dealing with stress

and adapting to change.
Withdraw from or avoid situations in which they

might fail.
Feel depressed and moody because they fall

short of perfection.
Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame,

humiliation and fear of being exposed as a failure.
When to see a doctor

People with narcissistic personality disorder may not
want to think that anything could be wrong, so they
usually don't seek treatment. If they do seek treatment,
it's more likely to be for symptoms of depression, drug
or alcohol misuse, or another mental health problem.
What they view as insults to self-esteem may make it
difficult to accept and follow through with treatment.
If you recognize aspects of your personality that are

common to narcissistic personality disorder or you're
feeling overwhelmed by sadness, consider reaching
out to a trusted health care provider or mental health
provider. Getting the right treatment can help make
your life more rewarding and enjoyable.
Request an appointment
From Mayo Clinic to your

inbox
Sign up for free, and stay up to date on
research advancements, health tips and
current health topics, like COVID-19, plus
expertise on managing health. Click here for
an email preview.
Enter your email
Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data.
Subscribe!
Causes
It's not known what causes narcissistic personality
disorder. The cause is likely complex. Narcissistic
personality disorder may be linked to:
Environment — parent-child relationships with

either too much adoration or too much criticism
that don't match the child's actual experiences
and achievements.
Genetics — inherited characteristics, such as

certain personality traits.
Neurobiology — the connection between the

brain and behavior and thinking.
Risk factors
Although the cause of narcissistic personality disorder
isn't known, some researchers think that overprotective
or neglectful parenting may have an impact on children
who are born with a tendency to develop the disorder.
Genetics and other factors also may play a role in the
development of narcissistic personality disorder.
Complications
Complications of narcissistic personality disorder, and
other conditions that can occur along with it include:
Relationship difficulties
Problems at work or school
Depression and anxiety
Other personality disorders
An eating disorder called anorexia
Physical health problems
Drug or alcohol misuse
Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Prevention
Because the cause of narcissistic personality disorder
is unknown, there's no known way to prevent the
condition. But it may help to:
Get treatment as soon as possible for childhood

mental health problems.
Participate in family therapy to learn healthy ways

to communicate or to cope with conflicts or
emotional distress.
Attend parenting classes and seek guidance from

a therapist or social worker if needed.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Request an appointment
Diagnosis & treatment
Nov. 15, 2022
Advertisement
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
Advertising & Sponsorship
Policy Opportunities Ad Choices
Print
Share on: Facebook Twitter
Show references
Related
Associated Procedures
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Family therapy
Products & Services
Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition
Show more products and services from Mayo Clinic
Narcissistic personality disorder
Symptoms & causes
Diagnosis & treatment
Advertisement
Mayo Clinic Press

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books
and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.
Mayo Clinic on Incontinence
NEW – Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure
Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance
FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment
Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book
CON-20344680
Patient Care & Health Information
Diseases & Conditions
Narcissistic personality disorder
Request Appointment
Contact Us
About Mayo Clinic
Employees
Find a Job
Site Map
About This Site
Twitter
Facebook
PinterestYouTube
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization. Make a donation.
Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and
Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
Notice of Privacy Practices
Notice of Nondiscrimination
A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for

noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic,"
"MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield
Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research.
This site complies with the

HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.
© 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.
k
ac
db
e
Fe

Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Symptoms and

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Symptoms and

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Symptoms and

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

English

Patient Care & Health Information Diseases & Conditions

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in

Treatment for narcissistic personality disorder centers

Narcissistic personality disorder affects more males

Products & Services

Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th

Show more products from Mayo Clinic

Have an unreasonably high sense of self-

Feel that they deserve privileges and special

Expect to be recognized as superior even without

Make achievements and talents seem bigger than

Be preoccupied with fantasies about success,

Believe they are superior to others and can only

Be critical of and look down on people they feel

Expect special favors and expect other people to

Take advantage of others to get what they want.

Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the

Be envious of others and believe others envy

Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come

Insist on having the best of everything — for

At the same time, people with narcissistic personality

Become impatient or angry when they don't

Have major problems interacting with others and

React with rage or contempt and try to belittle

Have difficulty managing their emotions and

Experience major problems dealing with stress

Withdraw from or avoid situations in which they

Feel depressed and moody because they fall

Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame,

When to see a doctor

If you recognize aspects of your personality that are

From Mayo Clinic to your

Enter your email

Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data.

Environment — parent-child relationships with

Genetics — inherited characteristics, such as

Neurobiology — the connection between the

Problems at work or school

Depression and anxiety

Other personality disorders

An eating disorder called anorexia

Physical health problems

Drug or alcohol misuse

Suicidal thoughts or behavior

Get treatment as soon as possible for childhood

Participate in family therapy to learn healthy ways

Attend parenting classes and seek guidance from

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Diagnosis & treatment

Nov. 15, 2022

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Share on: Facebook Twitter

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Products & Services

Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition

Show more products and services from Mayo Clinic