Although Narcissistic Personality Disorder is relatively rare, its presence can cause major disruptions to living a healthy life. For instance, whereas with most mental/behavioral health illnesses there are oftentimes symptoms that garner feelings of empathy and/or sympathy among those around you, that typically isn’t so with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In fact, it is usually much the opposite, and in many cases, the outward symptoms displayed would suggest the need for forced change over that of residential, inpatient, or even intensive outpatient treatment services.

To others around them, those who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder would come across as being conceited, boastful, and pretentious. They may frequently be accused of monopolizing conversations, failing to heed others, or unnecessarily inserting themselves into unrelated matters. Worse yet, they may lash out by belittling others and taking measures to further inflate their sense of self, all the while disregarding those around them. Given these characteristics, it’s easy to understand how, to the layperson, this particular condition might fall outside the scope of a mental or behavioral health disorder/illness.