Sunday 14 October 2007

The Importance of Differentials

The DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder have just been posted by 'Philip' on Dale. They are:

1. a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement, ie unreasonable expectations of especially favourable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. is interpersonally exploitative, ie takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy and is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes

Any five are required for a diagnosis of NPD.

Must put hand up to 2,4,5 and 6. Saved. There is clear , blue water between me and Gordon Brown.

14 comments:

Sackerson said...

All of us, to a degree. Only needs two doctors to section any of us.

lilith said...

You'd know a narcissist if you met one, although perhaps not instantly. They can be charming. Look at Tony Blair. Sackerson, the true narcissist is INCAPABLE of empathy. That's pretty nasty stuff when you get up close and personal. Most of us can empathise. It's what makes us civilised.

hatfield girl said...

How scary S, who could start the process? Would writing ostraka on a shard do it? Or popping a note into the lion's mouth?

Anonymous said...

Surely thare is another symptom:
10. is totally unaware of featuring any of the other nine things...

hatfield girl said...

11. And would get huffy about being charged with all or any of them.

Unlike others who look at the list, and start shifting worriedly from foot to foot, C.

hatfield girl said...

'the true narcissist is INCAPABLE of empathy.' but not incapable of mimicking empathy,L, which is why those interacting with narcissists can get very confused and self-accusatory.

Nick Drew said...

require excessive admiration, HG, I find that hard to believe !!

BTW, heard Let the bright Seraphim at the Albert Hall last night: thought (admiringly) of you

Newmania said...

I admire you excessively and consider you to be exceptional and brilliant .Perhaps you are just being realistic :)

Are you really that bossy ? You seem such a kind person to me ..perhaps a bit brainy but definitely female thinkin` from start to finish.


My two adjectives for you would be stylish and cool.

Jeremy Jacobs said...

Is this Blair or Brown? Or both?

Sackerson said...

HG: Mental Health Act 1983 (don't you like the use of the hooray-word HEALTH?), Section 2. It seems that in "an emergency", it only takes *one* doctor:

http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Legal/OGMHA.htm

Isn't Liam Fox a doctor?

Elby the Beserk said...

Lilith and I know a very nasty narcissist high up in the British Acupuncture nobility. Appears on the outside affable, charming and high-minded but is in fact a sewer inside. Narcissists like to mirror those they are with, so that you think - this person shares my values - not so, they just want an in to you, to see how to manipulate you. Nasty, and not quite human.

This guy's pleasure - causing pain to women (emotional AND physical). Some kind of a healer eh? His superiors at the college he teaches at know about him, but protect him as he is "Mr. College", so to speak.

hatfield girl said...

JJ, Brown is who Philip was referring to; Brown really does never speak to people again who say things he disagrees with, I was told by someone who did some work for him. He doesn't know any economics, you see, and anyone who tries to explain counter-intuitive (in that most counter-intuitive area of expertise) or uncomfortable truths that cross him, gets it. In the press it was reported Brown screaming 'I thought you were my friend' at Frank Field when he too told Brown some difficult truths .

I'm not sure what sectioning involves S, but can it be done in the House, on telly, if Mr Cameron does a repeat performance in this week's prime minister's pqs?

Sometimes N and ND I wonder if I'm not being taken seriously.

Nick Drew said...

You are, you are !

The Kate Bush of intellectual blogging

lilith said...

Surely, Newmania, you can allow yourself more than two adjectives...;-)

That Frank Field story is HILARIOUS. The Narcissist's inner world (such as it is) collapses when he is criticised and his ensuing wrath removes the critic with proceedures resembling a tank at a student in Tianamen Square.