How to Spot a Covert Narcissist

Bewar eoft heCover tNar ci ssi st Nar c i s s i s t i cper s onal i t ydi s or derhasabr oads pec t r um andi ndi v i dual sdi s pl ay i ngi tf eat ur eawi der angeof t r ai t s .Oneoft hes ubf ac et sofNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or deri sc ov er tnar c i s s i s m.Al s ok nownasv ul ner abl e nar c i s s i s m,ani ndi v i dualdi s pl ay i ngc ov er tnar c i s s i s m doesnotphy s i c al l ydi s pl ayt hes ens eofs el f i mpor t anc e peopl ewi t hNPDt y pi c al l ydo.Ac ov er tnar c i s s i s tof t enappear ss hyormodes t .

T er mss uc hasc l os et nar c i s s i s t ori nt r ov er t ednar c i s s i s t may beus edi npl ac eof c ov er t nar c i s s i s t .

Oneof t hemai n t r ai t soft hec ov er tnar c i s s i s ti st odi s pl ayi sal ac kofs el f c onf i denc e.Ther ear eot hers i gnsandt r ai t ss hownby t hes ei ndi v i dual swhi c hwi l l bec ov er edbel ow.

Whati snar ci ssi sm?

Nar c i s s i s mi sat er m us edt odes c r i beanumberofper s onal i t yt r ai t sdi s pl ay edbypeopl e.Nar c i s s i s t i ct r ai t s i nc l ude: s el f i nt er es t as ens eofent i t l ementf ors pec i al t r eat ment v ani t y Atonet i meoranot her ,peopl es how nar c i s s i s t i ct r ai t s .Dependi ngont hec i r c ums t anc es ,y oumays howc as e nar c i s s i s t i ct r ai t sf r om t i met ot i me.

Peopl ewi t hNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or derdi s pl ays t r ongnar c i s s i s t i ct r ai t s i nal ls i t uat i ons .Nar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or deri sament alheal t hc ondi t i ont hati sl ongt er m andi ndi v i dual s di s pl ays y mpt omss uc has :

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c ons t antneedf oradmi r at i onorpr ai s e unr eal i s t i cs ens eofs el f i mpor t anc e l ac kofempat hy di f f i c ul t yf or mi ngs t r ongormeani ngf ul r el at i ons hi ps Ani ndi v i dual wi t hNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or dermayhav el ows el f es t eem.Thei rs el f i magei sdi c t at edby c ompar i ngt hems el v eswi t hot heri ndi v i dual s .Res ear c hdi s c ov er edt hatpeopl ewi t hNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t y Di s or derr ank edl owerons el f es t eem t es t sc ompar edt opeopl ewi t houtt hedi s or der .

Cover tNar ci ssi stTest Ther ear e10s i gnsofc ov er tnar c i s s i s m.

Ani ndi v i dual maynots howeac hs i gnont hes pec t r um.Thes i gnsof t hec ov er tnar c i s s i s ti nc l ude: Ex t r emes ens i t i v i t yt oc r i t i c i s m Pas s i v eaggr es s i v ebehav i or At endenc yt oi ns ul torputt hems el v esdown As hyorwi t hdr awnnat ur e Gr and,ex t r emef ant as i es Feel i ngsofanx i et yanddepr es s i on T endenc yt ohol dgr udgesagai ns tot her s Env y Feel i ngsofi nadequac y Anabi l i t yt os howf ak eorf al s eempat hy

WhatCausesaCover tNar ci ssi st ?

Ther ei ss t i l lal otaboutt het r ai t sofCov er tNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or dert hatps y c hol ogi s t sdonotk now asy et .Spec i al i s t sar ec ont i nui ngt ol ear ni ngaboutwhatc aus esNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or derandt he t r ai t sas s oc i at edwi t hi t .Sof ar ,r es ear c hhasf oundt hatt her ei sami x t ur eoff ac t or st hatmaypl ayapar t .

Ones t udydi s c ov er edt hatadul t spos s es s i ngnar c i s s i s t i cper s onal i t yt r ai t sof t enhadpar ent swhoov er v al ued ac hi ev ement s ,emphas i z eds t at us ,andpr ai s e.Ther es ear c her sc onc l udedt hi sbehav i ormaygi v ec hi l dr en whogr ewupwi t hpar ent ss uc hast hes ebel i ev et heyar es uper i ort ot hei rpeer s .

I nc ont r as t ,c hi l dr enwi t hpar ent sdi s pl ay i ngwar m,af f ec t i onat es t y l esofpar ent i ngwer emor el i k el yt ohav e heal t hys el f es t eem.Ther es ear c her sc onc l udedpar ent alaf f ec t i ont eac hesc hi l dr ent hatt heyar eofahi gh v al ue,r at hert hans uper i ort oot herpeopl e.Thei s s uest hatc aus eNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or derar emor e c ompl ex , howev er .

TheAmer i c anPs y c hol ogi c al As s oc i at i ons t at esper s onal i t ydi s or der sar et y pi c al l yaf f ec t ed by : genet i c s c hi l dhoodt r auma v er bal abus e s ex ual abus e Ani ndi v i dual wi t hc ov er tnar c i s s i s ts i gnsmayhav epar ent swhopos s es ss i mi l art r ai t s .I naddi t i on,i ndi v i dual s wi t hc ov er tnar c i s s i s m mayhav ebeenabus edasc hi l dr en.I ns omec as es ,t heymayhav eex per i enc edbot h s i t uat i ons .

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Whati st heDi f f er encebet weenOver tNar ci ssi standCover tNar ci ssi st ?

Over tNar ci ssi sm VsandCover tNar c i s s i s m Ment alheal t hex per t sdi v i deNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or deri nt ot wos ubs et s :gr andi os enar c i s s i s m and v ul ner abl enar c i s s i s m.Thes ear eal s oc al l edov er tandc ov er tnar c i s s i s m.Bot hv er s i onsofNar c i s s i s t i c Per s onal i t yDi s or derpos s es st hes amet r ai t s .Thes et r ai t si nc l udeaneedf oradmi r at i onandadi s t i nc tl ac k ofempat hy .Howev er ,t heout war dbehav i oroft hos ewi t heac hs ubt y pec anbev er ydi f f er ent .

Nar c i s s i s t i cgr andi os i t yi sc har ac t er i z edbyov er tex pr es s i onsoff eel i ngsofs uper i or i t yandent i t l ement ,whi l e nar c i s s i s t i cv ul ner abi l i t yr ef l ec t shy per s ens i t i v i t yandi nt r ov er s i v es el f abs or bednes s .Cl i ni c alev i denc es ugges t st hatgr andi os i t yi sac c ompani edbyv ul ner abl eas pec t s ,poi nt i ngt oac ommonf oundat i on.Subc l i ni c al per s onal i t yr es ear c h,howev er ,v i ewsgr andi os eandv ul ner abl enar c i s s i s m asi ndependentt r ai t s .Gr andi os e nar c i s s i s m di s pl ay ss ubs t ant i alc or r el at i onwi t hex t r av er s i on,whi l ev ul ner abl enar c i s s i s mc or r el at eshi ghl y wi t hi nt r ov er s i on1.

Ani ndi v i dualwi t hov er tnar c i s s i s mi st y pi c al l yex t r ov er t ed,bol d,ands eek sat t ent i on.Thes epeopl emay bec omeaggr es s i v eorv i ol entwhent hei rs ens eofs t at usi sc hal l engedbyot her s .I ti sl es sobv i oust ot el li f aper s onhasc ov er tnar c i s s i s m.Thec ov er tnar c i s s i s tof t enappears hy ,wi t hdr awn,ors el f depr ec at i ng.Yet , t heyar es t i l l s el f abs or bedandbel i ev et heyar es uper i ort oot herpeopl e.

Howt oDealwi t haCover tNar ci ssi st I tc anbedi f f i c ul tandc hal l engi ngt oi nt er ac twi t haper s onwi t hCov er tNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or der .The nar c i s s i s t i cbehav i ordi s pl ay edbyt hei ndi v i dualc anaf f ec tt hei rment alheal t h.Fr i endsandf ami l ymember s mayneedt os etboundar i eswi t ht heper s ons uf f er i ngf r om Nar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or dert omak et he r el at i ons hi pwor k .Fr i endsandf ami l yc anal s ohav et hei rment alheal t haf f ec t edduet ot her el at i ons hi pwi t h aper s onwi t hNPD. Ani ndi v i dualmayl i mi tt hei ri nt er ac t i onswi t ht heNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or ders uf f er eronc er t ai nday s orf ors pec i f i cper i odsoft i me.Theymayl i mi tt hei nf or mat i ont hati ss har edwi t ht heNPD s uf f er er .I fabus e i sex per i enc edi nar el at i ons hi pwi t hani ndi v i dual wi t hNPD,i tc anbeadv i s abl et oc eas eal l c ont ac t .

Howdoment alheal t hpr of essi onal st r eatnar ci ssi st i cper sonal i t ydi sor der ?

Cov er tNar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or dermaybedi f f i c ul tt ot r eat .Al ongwi t hmedi c at i on,t her apymayhel pi n s omes i t uat i ons .I ndi v i dual smayex per i enc eac ombi nat i onoft het wot ot r eatNPD.Tr eat ment sopt i onsf or i ndi v i dual ss uf f er i ngf r om Nar c i s s i s t i cPer s onal i t yDi s or deri nc l ude: Suppor t i v eps y c hot her apywhi c hc ombi nesps y c hody nami candc ogni t i v ebehav i or al t ec hni queswi t hps y c hophar mac ol ogi cmanagement Ment al i z at i onbas edt her apyi nwhi c ht het her api s t st eac hpat i ent st os el f r ef l ec t Tr ans f er enc ef oc us edps y c hot her apyt oi dent i f yani ndi v i dual ’ st r eat mentgoal swhi l ees t abl i s hi ngat r eat ment c ont r ac tbet weent hepat i entandt her api s t Sc hemaf oc us edps y c hot her apywhi c hus esc ogni t i v ebehav i or al t her apy ,at t ac hmentt heor y ,andps y c hody nami ct her apyandt r eat snegat i v eper c ept i onsofone’ ss el fandot her s

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Di al ec t i c albehav i or alt her apyi sal s ous edandi tc ombi nesi ndi v i dualt her apyandgr oupt r eat ment .DBTi s af or m ofCBTandus espr i nc i pl esofc hangeandac c ept anc e.

Medi c at i onss uc hasmoods t abi l i z er s , ant i depr es s ant s , andant i ps y c hot i c sar eal s oi mpl ement edbyt her api s t s

I si tt i met oseekhel pf oraCover tNar ci ssi st ?

Ment alheal t hi s s uesc anaf f ec taper s on’ swor kandhomel i f e.Whent hi soc c ur s ,i ti st i met os eekhel p.

Speak i ngt oaps y c hot her api s tordoc t ori sagoodpl ac et obegi n.Aheal t hc ar epr of es s i onalc anas s es st he i s s ueandr ec ommendt r eat mentopt i ons .Ani ndi v i duali nanabus i v er el at i ons hi pwi t haper s onex hi bi t i ng nar c i s s i s t i ct r ai t smayr equi r ehel pl eav i ngt her el at i ons hi p.

Aper s onwi t hc ov er tnar c i s s i s tt r ai t smayappears hy ,wi t hdr awn,andl ac k i ngi nc onf i denc e.Yet ,i nt er ac t i ng wi t hani ndi v i dualwi t hc ov er tnar c i s s i s m maybedi f f i c ul t .Bybr eak i ngof fc ont ac twi t hac ov er tnar c i s s i s m s uf f er er ,ani ndi v i dual maybeabl et opr ot ec tt hei rownment al heal t h.

Awar dedSt at usasaLux ur yCl as sRehabbyWor l dsBes tRehabMagaz i ne www. wor l ds bes t . r ehab