Understanding Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Substance Abuse

Co-occurring disorders are when an individual simultaneously experiences a form of substance abuse and a mental health disorder. Alcohol abuse and narcissism is one of the most common combinations by far. Anyone with either an alcohol use disorder or narcissistic personality disorder should receive help. They should get a formal diagnosis for their disorder from a medical professional. Seek treatment and support if you or someone you know has alcohol use and narcissistic personality disorders. Therefore, simultaneous treatment of alcoholism and narcissistic personality disorder is essential. If only one condition is treated, the person’s chances of relapse will increase.

Many of the symptoms of NPD are thought to be the result of a sensitive or vulnerable ego. While they may not show it outwardly, criticism is especially unbearable for a narcissist. They may dwell on it, or be haunted by it, and end up enraged or retaliating. Demands special treatment and always has to be the center https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of attention. An intervention is not about how to control the substance user; it is about how to let go of believing you can. Because the narcissist can only view life from their own point of view and truly believe that their reality is the only reality, they’re unable to understand why others get upset with them.

Dual diagnosis

You may also be prescribed medication to treat co-occurring mental health conditions. Before beginning any therapy or counseling, you will need to detox from drugs or alcohol in a safe and comfortable setting. The treatment center will provide you with 24-hour comfort care as well as medication, if necessary. But that also means that both conditions can be treated through similar approaches.

To treat dual diagnosis, people will receive treatment options for both NPD and AUD. Individuals can discuss how NPD and AUD can affect the other with their doctor. AA and other 12-step programs can also provide a valuable added layer of peer support for people quitting or cutting back on their drinking. Exact outcome data is hard to determine due to the anonymity of the programs.

Differences Between Alcoholism and Narcissism

Treatment programs for vulnerable narcissists might focus on negative expectations while grandiose narcissists might need to focus more on recognition of problems. Future research should evaluate potential mechanisms driving these associations, such as mediators that might explain associations or moderators that might strengthen relationships found in this study. For example, perhaps types of drinking motives (e.g., conformity or coping) differentially mediate the relationship between narcissism subtypes and alcohol outcomes. Moderators such as positive or negative affect or reward sensitivity might affect the strength of the associations found in this study. In addition, future research could include more ethnically diverse samples to determine if the associations found here differ for students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

When narcissists do not get the praise and attention they seek, they often act out in extreme ways. When they do this, it can cause them to seek out drugs and alcohol in an attempt to deal with their emotional distress. However, this will often only provide temporary relief and cause them to continue using. When symptoms of addiction begin to set in, such as cravings, heightened tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and negative impacts on the person’s life, the narcissist will often deny that they have a problem in the first place. They don’t want to believe that they could be putting themselves in harm’s way and instead try to show those around them that they can handle the substances; this is how they can become trapped in the cycle of addiction. But if you live in Southern California and are looking for a smart recovery program, your best local resource is Chapman House Treatment Centers.

Which 12-Step Program Is Right For Me?

The two types of narcissism were measured using the Five Factor Narcissism Inventory .40 Participants rated their agreement to 148 statements about themselves on a five-point scale. An overall mean score of narcissism was calculated for the two subscales (i.e., grandiose and vulnerable narcissism). Internal consistency in the current study was alpha of .84 for the grandiose narcissism subscale and .79 for the vulnerable narcissism subscale.

Almost everyone who develops a problem with alcohol will be in denial about that problem with alcohol until they are ready to admit the truth. Once they admit they have a problem with alcohol, there are many other areas of their lives that they have to confront, away from denial. As a narcissistic personality trait, denial is a way to avoid facing the truth which could indicate that there is truth other than the image which has been self-created- most often in denial of the true parts.

What Is An Alcoholic Narcissist?

If a loved one shows signs of NPD, it’s important to seek out a diagnosis from a mental health professional. It’s especially critical if the person also has a substance abuse problem. One of the hallmarks of personality disorders is that affected individuals don’t perceive reality the same Narcissism and Alcohol Abuse way as most people, which is why all the best reasoning you have put forward hasn’t been effective. In these cases, the right type of professional assistance is vital for both intervention and treatment. For example, alcoholism can cause people to become defensive of their addiction.

• Compared to grandiose narcissists, people in this group were more likely to acknowledge that they had a problem.
• This study highlights the importance of individual differences in alcohol-related outcomes in a high risk population of college students.
• Someone who has both disorders can receive help for both at once.
• Learn which signs to look out for, and how to care for your well-being.
• People in a narcissist’s life may feel the person’s core behavior is the same, no matter what.
• It is characterized by showing a lack of empathy towards others and being very self-centered.