What is this thing called Narcissism disorder?

Liking oneself is a precondition for liking others. Yet to be in love with oneself is at best suspect, at worst a tragic fate condemning the afflicted to a life deprived of true intimacy. Narcissism is a universal psychological phenomenon, with healthy and unhealthy forms. Pathological forms of narcissism may be an attempt to find basic security in the face of environmental difficulty or trauma. Psychological treatment can help lessen the fundamental loneliness of the narcissistic sufferer.
quote from Jeremy Holmes from Freud.org.uk

N.B. It takes a trained professional to distinguish between some one who is just going through a natural narcissistic phase and other problems such as anti-social personality disorder etc.. After ten years of studying and researching Narcissism, I have come to the conclusion that there are varying degrees of narcissism, and narcissists. As well, I have come to realize that we live in a society that encourages narcissistic behavior (go here for other's opinions on this). And there is an explosion on the internet of sites devoted to narcissism, as well as narcissistic web sites; youtube, my space, etc...

Healthy narcissism is normal if gives you a sense of real self esteem, ambition and the capacity to form satisfying relationships. As long as you can integrate it into your normal mental health, then it is not toxic. Remember, all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Balanced people are normal people.

Toxic narcissism is not normal. When it takes over every act and thought of the person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as a disease, it makes that person act in ways that can be diagnosed. If you know of people who have the NPD characteristics, then this web site may help you understand them. But do not be too quick to judge. You might be the person with NPD!

I sometimes think a narcissist is someone who is not human, but who looks human and acts human, an alien from outer-space, or a spoiled child, or a crazy person (crazy like a fox). Some alien race has snatched the humanity from the narcissist, leaving an empty husk that tries its best to act human. If you make the mistake of thinking they are normal human beings then you will remain their victim. Psychopaths are more dangerous but not as insidious as a narcissist.

Most people dismiss Narcissists as amusing, but some of them may harm others as they try to maintain their guise of superiority. Brian Blackwell, the 19-year-old who killed his parents and then went on a holiday financed by their credit cards, was diagnosed as suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. Personality disorders expert and consultant forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes, from Manchester, said: "Many psychopaths have narcissistic traits, and you most often see NPD when treating psychopaths.- That is not to say that everyone with NPD is a psychopath, or that every psychopath is narcissistic - but they go together in a lot of cases."

Ns are great actors. If you walk into a bar, can you tell who is the social drinker and who is the alcoholic? Narcissists blend in. They range in age and sex and nationality and intelligence; some are more harmful than others, some are even good. They all have DSM IV characteristics.

Here is my list of words to describe a Narcissist

Two words describe them - spoiled child...

Another list of characteristics of NPD

If you know someone who has five or more of the DSM IV characteristics (and barring any differential diagnosis) then you might be dealing with a personality disorder called NPD.

Oh, by the way, we all have some of these characteristics... So don't worry.

If you are a full blown narcissist reading this, welcome, you are one of the most incredible people world in the world. Your favorite letters are; M, E and I.

Detailed definition from The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

British boy murders parents, doctors diagnose him with NPD

Here is a warning about internet abusers.

Some disorders have similar or even the same symptoms as NPD:

Histrionic Personality Disorder;
Antisocial Personality Disorder;
Borderline Personality Disorder;
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder;
Schizotypal Personality Disorder;
Paranoid Personality Disorder;
Manic Episodes;
Hypomanic Episodes;
Personality Change Due to a General Medical Condition;
Symptoms that may develop in association with chronic substance use.