Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Narcissism
According to the Mayo Clinic, personality disorders manifest in ways that limit the social functioning of individuals. Such disorders often cause extreme behavior problems, and relationships are difficult for persons suffering in this way. This is also true of the narcissistic personality disorder. The Mayo Clinic defines this disorder as one that causes an unrealistic sense of one's own importance. Persons suffering from the narcissistic personality disorder then also have a need for admiration while caring little for the feelings and needs of others. In addition, and perhaps also ironically, the veneer of extreme confidence hides a very vulnerable self-esteem that could crumble under the smallest criticism.
According to Joanna Ashmun, narcissism is particularly tragic when it manifests in parents. Children are most often not aware that the traits these parents display are a result of the parents' psychological shortcomings. Such children find it impossible to please their parents, and often grow up with a sense of inadequacy and shame.
Sam Vaknin notes that narcissism is a fairly newly category of personality disorders, and has therefore not enjoyed a large amount of research. This is one of the reasons why it can be so damaging in relationships; many without a psychological background are not aware that the traits displayed by sufferers of the disorder are indeed the result of the disorder rather than the personality itself.
According to current estimations, about 0.7-1% of the population suffer from the disorder. The onset of narcissism generally occurs either in infancy, adolescence or early adulthood. Medication is rarely used to treat the disorder, unless it manifests with other conditions as well. Narcissism is generally treated with psychotherapy. Although the prognosis for adult narcissism sufferers is poor, talk therapy does help to integrate them into society and to function better within relationships.
References
Ashmun, Joanna M. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD): How to Recognize a Narcissist. 2000. http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/
Mayo Clinic. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 2009. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/narcissistic-personality-disorder/DS00652
Vaknin, Sam. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) Definition. 2008, Nov. 2. http://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/malignant-self-love/narcissistic-personality-disorder-npd-definition/menu-id-1471/
Many young people voted for Reagan as he represented rebellion against the authority figures in society but was a rebellion characterized by valiance and effectuated through skillful communication. The approval rating of Reagan was approximately 42% when 1982 began but dropped to the record low 35% later that same year. The U.S. entered a recession. If one is to set their focus upon obtaining a chance at being the
Introduction Loneliness is defined as “a subjective, unwelcome feeling of lack or loss of companionship. It happens when we have a mismatch between the quantity and quality of social relationships that we have, and those that we want” (Office for National Satistics). As Horne notes, loneliness and depression play off one another. Loneliness is not necessarily isolation from people as it is the feeling of being alone (Horne). Van Winkel et