Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Narcissistic Personality Disorder includes the 5
symptoms listed below:
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Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms: Book Excerpts
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Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Medical Mistakes
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Undiagnosed Conditions
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Home Diagnostic Testing
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Wrongly Diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions
that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses
for Narcissistic Personality Disorder includes:
See the full list of 15
alternative diagnoses for Narcissistic Personality Disorder
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More about symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
More information about symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and related conditions:
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Narcissistic Personality Disorder
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Online Medical Books
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Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Delusional disorders:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The psychiatric history of a delusional patient may be unremarkable, aside from behavior related to his delusions. He’s likely to report problems with social and marital relationships, including depression or sexual dysfunction. He may describe a life marked by social isolation or hostility. He may deny feeling lonely, relentlessly criticizing or placing unreasonable demands on others.
Gathering accurate information from a delusional patient may prove difficult. He may deny his feelings, disregard the circumstances that lead to his hospitalization, and refuse treatment. However, his responses and behavior during the assessment interview provide clues that can help to identify his disorder. Family members may confirm your observations — for example, by reporting that the patient is chronically jealous or suspicious.
Note how well the patient communicates. He may be evasive or reluctant to answer questions. Conversely, he may be overly talkative, explaining events in great detail and emphasizing what he has achieved, prominent people he knows, or places where he has traveled. Statements that first seem logical may later prove irrelevant. Some of his answers may be contradictory, jumbled, or irrational.
Be alert for expressions of denial, projection, and rationalization. Once delusions become firmly entrenched, the patient will no longer seek to justify his beliefs. However, if he’s still struggling to maintain his delusional defenses, he may make statements that reveal his condition, such as “People at work won’t talk to me because I’m smarter than them.” Accusatory statements are also characteristic of the delusional patient. Record pervasive delusional themes (for example, grandiose or persecutory).
Also watch for nonverbal cues, such as excessive vigilance or obvious apprehension on entering the room. During questions, the patient may listen intently, reacting defensively to imagined slights or insults. He may sit at the edge of his seat or fold his arms as if to shield himself. If he carries papers or money, he may clutch them firmly.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Generalized anxiety disorder:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Generalized anxiety disorder can begin at any age but typically has an onset in the 20s and 30s. Psychological or physiologic symptoms of anxiety states vary with the degree of anxiety. Mild anxiety mainly causes psychological symptoms, with unusual self-awareness and alertness to the environment. Moderate anxiety leads to selective inattention but with the ability to concentrate on a single task. Severe anxiety causes an inability to concentrate on more than scattered details of a task. A panic state with acute anxiety causes a complete loss of concentration, typically with unintelligible speech.
Physical examination of the patient with generalized anxiety disorder may reveal signs or symptoms of motor tension, including trembling, muscle aches and spasms, headaches, and an inability to relax. Autonomic signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, tachycardia, sweating, and abdominal complaints.
In addition, the patient may startle easily and complain of feeling apprehensive, fearful, or angry. There may also be difficulty concentrating, eating, and sleeping. The medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial histories fail to identify a specific physical or environmental cause of the anxiety.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Personality disorders:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Each specific personality disorder produces characteristic signs and symptoms, which may vary among patients and within the same patient at different times. In general, the history of the patient with a personality disorder will reveal long-standing difficulties in interpersonal relationships, ranging from dependency to withdrawal, and in occupational functioning, with effects ranging from compulsive perfectionism to intentional sabotage.
The patient with a personality disorder may show any degree of self-confidence, ranging from no self-esteem to arrogance. Convinced that his behavior is normal, he avoids responsibility for its consequences, commonly resorting to projections and blame.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Delusional disorders:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Aside from behavior related to the patient’s delusions, the psychiatric history of a delusional patient may be unremarkable. This helps distinguish it from disorders that result in behavior more dissociated from reality such as paranoid schizophrenia. (See Delusional disorder or paranoid schizophrenia? )
The delusional patient is likely to report problems with social and marital relationships, including depression or sexual dysfunction. He may describe a life marked by social isolation or hostility. He may deny feeling lonely, relentlessly criticizing, or placing unreasonable demands on others.
Gathering accurate information from a delusional patient may prove difficult. He may deny his feelings, disregard the circumstances that led to his hospitalization, and refuse treatment.
However, his responses and behavior during the assessment interview provide clues that can help to identify his disorder. Family members may confirm observations — for example, by reporting that the patient is chronically jealous or suspicious.
Assessment clue: Communication
The patient’s ability to communicate can be another indicator. He may be evasive or reluctant to answer questions. Or he may be overly talkative, explaining events in great detail and emphasizing what he has achieved, prominent people he knows, or places he has traveled.
The patient may make statements that at first seem logical but later prove irrelevant. Some of his answers may be contradictory, jumbled, or irrational.
A delusional patient may make expressions of denial, projection, and rationalization. Once delusions become firmly entrenched, the patient will no longer seek to justify his beliefs. However, if he’s still struggling to maintain his delusional defenses, he may make statements that reveal his condition such as “People at work won’t talk to me because I’m smarter than they are.”
Accusatory statements are also characteristic of the delusional patient. Pervasive delusional themes (for example, grandiose or persecutory) may become apparent.
The patient may also display nonverbal cues, such as excessive vigilance or obvious apprehension on entering the room. During questions, he may listen intently, reacting defensively to imagined slights or insults. He may sit at the edge of his seat or fold his arms as if to shield himself. If he carries papers or money, he may clutch them firmly.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Personality disorders:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Each specific personality disorder produces characteristic signs and symptoms, which may vary among patients and within the same patient at different times. In general, the history of the patient with a personality disorder will reveal long-standing difficulties in interpersonal relationships, ranging from dependency to withdrawal, and in occupational functioning, ranging from compulsive perfectionism to intentional sabotage.
The patient with a personality disorder may show any degree of self-confidence, ranging from no self-esteem to arrogance. Convinced that his behavior is normal, he avoids responsibility for its consequences, often resorting to projections and blame.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Anxiety disorder, generalized:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Generalized anxiety disorder can begin at any age but typically has an onset between ages 20 and 40. It’s equally common in men and women. Psychological or physiologic symptoms of anxiety states vary with the degree of anxiety. Mild anxiety mainly causes psychological symptoms, with unusual self-awareness and alertness to the environment. Moderate anxiety leads to selective inattention but with the ability to concentrate on a single task. Severe anxiety causes an inability to concentrate on more than scattered details of a task. A panic state with acute anxiety causes a complete loss of concentration, often with unintelligible speech.
Physical examination of the patient with generalized anxiety disorder may reveal symptoms of motor tension, including trembling, muscle aches and spasms, headaches, and an inability to relax. Autonomic signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, tachycardia, sweating, and abdominal complaints.
In addition, the patient may startle easily and complain of feeling apprehensive, fearful, or angry and of having difficulty concentrating, eating, and sleeping. The medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial histories fail to identify a specific physical or environmental cause of the anxiety.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
This signs and symptoms information for Narcissistic Personality Disorder has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Narcissistic Personality Disorder signs or Narcissistic Personality Disorder symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Narcissistic Personality Disorder symptoms.
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» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Narcissistic Personality Disorder
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