Khaberni - When people with high narcissistic personalities feel insulted or criticized, it threatens their fragile or exaggerated self-confidence, leading them to respond aggressively to protect their self-image. Naturally, when people encounter such behavior, they often demand the narcissist to change.
However, sometimes the impact is not only on others but also on the narcissist themselves. Narcissists may be more prone to feeling rejected, which is likely due to the same behavior that drives people away from them. So, can narcissists change through psychological intervention?
According to "Medical Express", it is first helpful to understand narcissism as seen in psychology.
Types of Narcissism
There are two types of narcissists: the grandiose narcissist and the vulnerable narcissist. The grandiose narcissist tends to see themselves as superior to others, while the vulnerable narcissist tends to be overly sensitive to criticism.
In both cases, narcissists may be selfish. If these traits are exacerbated, the person may be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder or described as having pathological narcissism.
Pathological Narcissism
While a person with narcissistic personality disorder suffers from a lifelong psychological disorder, meaning there is no "cure," research suggests that treatment can help manage symptoms.
Treatment of symptoms usually begins with talking therapies, the traditional approach, where the psychotherapist sits with their client and talks with them.
The most common method used by therapists with narcissists is cognitive behavioral therapy, which may help people notice inaccurate or unhelpful thoughts and challenge and change their behavior.
Psychodynamic Relationships
However, when therapists were asked about the most effective approach in a 2015 study, they preferred psychodynamic relationship methods.
This approach involves the client exploring their feelings and motivations, while the counselor is understanding and non-judgmental. This approach is essential when working with narcissists, because some patients assume that the counselor thinks they are weak.
Fear of weakness often accompanies difficulty in building a relationship of trust and understanding between the client and the counselor.
When patients with narcissistic personality disorder seek treatment, they are often in a state of vulnerability rather than grandiosity. However, these symptoms may coexist, meaning that the traits of grandiosity will begin to appear during treatment.
The counselor may then recognize the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder in that patient and begin to adapt the counseling to this diagnosis.
Asking for Treatment
It is rare for someone with narcissistic personality disorder to seek treatment in the first place, as they often do not believe they have a problem. People with narcissistic personality disorder often visit their doctor or therapist for other reasons, such as an external problem (such as job loss or divorce) or an emotional problem (possibly depression resulting from feelings of rejection).
When these barriers persist, the patient may end their treatment early. There are many other reasons that may drive a patient to discontinue treatment, but dropout rates generally range from 10% to 50%, compared to 63% and 64% for narcissists.
Other Treatments
Dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and schema therapy.
Dialectical behavior therapy focuses on challenging negative thoughts and overwhelming emotions while accepting oneself. Mindfulness-based therapy helps you understand thoughts and beliefs and link them to behavior.
Conversely, schema therapy helps challenge unhelpful mental schemas about how the world works. For example, if you experienced neglect in childhood, you might develop a mental schema that your needs will never be met by anyone.
However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of these methods in treating narcissistic personality disorder.
