Sometimes, Humphreys notes, therapy can work against the narcissist’s best interest. But, it’s so very difficult to get them to want to do that, or to even acknowledge that their behavior is the cause of so many of their problems, as Dr. Through hard work in therapy, the narcissist can change destructive patterns and cultivate empathy. It really depends, and the same situation can result in different outcomes for different people.” “A narcissist doesn’t necessarily come from a dysfunctional family, but narcissism can occur because a parent or caretaker wasn't able to provide emotional attention, or it could be the flipside: a parent provided too much attention and the child never learned frustration tolerance. “My view is that it’s probably about 25 percent constitutional and 75 percent experiential,” says Reiss. How does a person become a narcissist? It’s a hotly disputed issue in the world of psychiatry, with a wealth of theories and no one-size-fits-all answer.
![self obsessed self obsessed](https://images.herzindagi.info/image/2018/Jul/signs-he-is-a-self-centered-partner.jpg)
The makings of a narcissist: Nature, nurture and character Narcissists are just stuck there in this bottomless, constant need.” Now, we may have moments where we’re very selfish, but it’s on a continuum not for narcissists though. “As we grow up, we learn that other people need things, too. Keith Humphreys, a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Stanford Health Care. They just say ‘Oh here, let me feed you, let me cuddle you and sing to you’,” says Dr. “We all come into the world with needs that we want to be filled, and no one asks a baby.
![self obsessed self obsessed](http://cdn-webimages.wimages.net/051bf78f4303f295915465a129b5d3464a0005-wm.jpg)
One interesting way to think of one with narcissistic personality disorder is as a big baby - no really, because a baby, like a true narcissist, is concerned only with themselves and their needs. As to the formal diagnosis, that arises from psychoanalytic thinking, starting with Freud but with different schools of psychology accepting slightly different understandings of the pathology/personality disorder over ensuing years.” The telltale traits of narcissism go well beyond self-absorptionĭiagnosable narcissism is far more complex (and often dangerous) than mere selfishness or vanity. “The term itself comes from the story of Narcissus in Greek mythology, dating back to at least 8 A.D. “Narcissism has been around as long as humanity has been around - and has been recognized for that long,” Reiss says. Reiss, M.D., a psychiatrist who has specialized in narcissism for over 30 years. To enlighten me, I turned to a number of experts including David M.