Is Narcissism a Mental Illness?
Written Narcissistic Abuse Expert and Recovery Coach Randi Fine
Narcissistic Abuse Awareness and Guidance with Randi Fine
People often ask me, "Is narcissism a mental illness?" The concern typically had by those in relationships with them is, "if these people are mentally ill, how can we hold them responsible for their abusive behavior.”
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is categorized as a mental disorder in the primary mental health diagnostic manual, the DSM-5. These are characterized by significant disturbances in an individual's cognitive, emotional regulation, or behavior, reflecting dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes.
The term "mental disorder" is often used interchangeably with mental illness, but it typically indicates a more diagnostic classification (centered around the treatment and observation of real-life patients instead of just theoretical concepts or lab studies). Mental disorders may involve conditions that do not severely interfere with everyday activities.
Narcissistic personality disorder, also known as pathological narcissism, is a term that often sparks intense debates and varying opinions among psychologists and mental health professionals.
In this blog post, we delve deep into this controversial topic to understand the complexities surrounding pathological narcissism and its classification in the world of mental health.
The minds of pathological narcissists are clearly disturbed. Nevertheless, the severity of this disturbance plays a crucial role in their ability to control their behavior. Those who successfully manage their actions are indeed responsible for them.
While narcissists may experience mental disorders, these individuals are not considered insane. It may not always be obvious, but they do possess complete control over their mental faculties and always act with intention. For someone to be considered insane, they must lack the ability to separate fantasy from reality. Narcissists have a distorted sense of reality, yet they are completely present and engaged in the actual world.
Individuals who are mentally ill or insane find it difficult to control their urges. Though narcissists are highly impulsive, they are skilled at controlling their urges, even if it doesn't always seem that way. They know exactly when and where to unleash their abusive behaviors, and when and where to keep those behaviors in check. And while those suffering from insanity may struggle to carry out their basic daily functions, narcissists often flourish in life and can be highly successful.
As survivors of narcissistic abuse, many of us suffer varying degrees of mental illness and mental disorders. Despite the struggles we may have with related concerns, we must still own up to our actions. We do not have a “Get out of Jail Free” card, and neither do narcissists.
Personality disorders are grouped in the DSM-5 in three clusters; cluster A, cluster B and cluster C. Narcissistic personality disorder is a cluster B disorder, also referred to as “the dramatic, emotional, and erratic cluster,” along with antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder.
Personality disorders are extreme manifestations of common behaviors that significantly impair a person’s ability to behaviorally respond to life in an acceptable way, and create difficulty in the person’s interactions with others. They are sets of chronic, inflexible personality traits, or patterns of deviant or abnormal behavior that those who have them will not change, even when their behavior troubles everyone around them and negatively impacts all their relationships.
Personality disorders are not limited to episodic mental illness, are not caused by illness or injury, and aren’t an effect of substance abuse.
There is a great deal of controversy among mental health professionals over how personality disorders are clinically defined, because people with the signs and symptoms of one personality disorder often exhibit symptoms of one or more other disorders. This overlapping often results in multiple diagnoses, putting the validity of each individual qualification in question.
So, is narcissistic personality disorder a mental disorder? Yes, it definitely is. But those who have it are not insane or psychotic. The motives and intentions of narcissists are unmistakable, and they act on them with deliberate intent. Their calculated objectivity and defined goals create a formidable risk for the unsuspecting mind.
Refrain from pitying your abuser. This person intentionally victimized you, showing no remorse for their actions. Instead, channel your compassion inward. The narcissist is beyond healing, but you possess the ability to recover and grow.
Randi Fine is an internationally renowned narcissistic abuse expert and recovery coach, and the author of the groundbreaking book Close Encounters of the Worst Kind: The Narcissistic Abuse Survivor’s Guide to Healing and Recovery Second Edition, the most comprehensive, well-researched, and up-to-date book on this subject. In addition to helping survivors recognize their abuse and heal from it, this book teaches mental health professionals how to recognize and properly treat the associated abuse syndrome. She is also the author of the official companion workbook Close Encounters of the Worst Kind: A Comprehensive Workbook for Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse. Randi Fine is the author of Cliffedge Road: A Memoir, the first and only book to characterize the life-long progression of complications caused by narcissistic child abuse.
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