Narcissism

Narcissus, the son of the river god Cephissus was a handsome young man. He was adored by everyone, many fell in love with him but he rejected their amorous advances. He treated his suitors with contempt and broke their hearts. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge and retribution.. decided to intercede on behalf of the victims. She lured narcissus to a clear pool and for the first time he saw his reflection, there were no mirrors at the time. Narcissus was fascinated by his beauty that he fell in love with himself and couldn't stop staring. Unable to move away from his reflection..he later died due to thirst and starvation.

  

  Narcissism draws its meaning from this story and it clearly shows egocentrism and self-obsession at their peak. Narcissists believe they are very unique and special and can't be associated with anything average. You'll find them at high places exaggerating everything, their talents, relationships, work.. talking about how good they are, and how they never do anything wrong. If you get to sit next to a narcissist and listen to their stories you'd hate your life. They have this sense of superiority that makes them look down on people.

   Narcissists need constant praise and admiration..constantly feeding their ego helps them survive. Hence, they associate with people who are below them to get regular praise. Narcissists believe they must get whatever they want and everyone should comply with their every wish and if you don't comply, they are very aggressive and violent.

  Just like psychopaths, Narcissists lack empathy and are very cunning. To them, other people are like toys or objects whose sole purpose is to fulfill their needs. If you're more popular than them or if you possess something they lack, you're a threat to them and you need to be eliminated. To do this they insult, threaten and bully to show who is boss.

   Narcissists don't do relationships..they just can't! They don't look for partners or soulmates..they look for people who can give them what they need. To them, you're an item and they don't care about your needs and desires let alone your feelings. That's why they will hurt you countless times and if you threaten to leave..they will "love bomb" you... shower you with gifts and attach a mega apology after that they hit you right where it hurts with something worse and the cycle continues. They will have you on an emotional rollercoaster and they won't even care.

  When it comes to arguments, narcissists must win an argument no matter how right they are. They take control of the argument and make it about them. The advisable thing to do is not to argue with a narcissist...Just don't!..these people will drag you to hell. Constant arguing can escalate things fast..let them be.

   The more they put up a show on the outside the more they struggle behind that mask of self-righteousness and self-love..deep down they are very scared and very naive. They usually have very low self-esteem and don't know what to do. That's why they spend most of their time trying to prove everyone wrong to hide their shortcomings. 

   Narcissistic characteristics can be inherited but most narcissists were either neglected or abused when growing up. Excess adoration and excessive criticism when raising children also cause narcissism.

  Treating narcissism is very hard because they never accept that they have a problem and they rarely seek help. Those who decide to seek help are guided through psychotherapy..where the therapist assists them to build healthier relationships and they learn to take responsibility for their actions. Drugs like antipsychotics and antidepressants may be administered in severe cases.