To think not everything needs self-diagnosis

[FlamedToACrisp]

You know what I mean: her ex-boyfriend isn't just a selfish git, he's a 'narcissist'. Their child can't read yet because he must be 'dyslexic', not because he's a slow learner or just hasn't got it yet. His mum isn't just unhappy because she's been bereaved, it must be 'depression.'

It's insulting to people who genuinely suffer these problems.

But lots of people using these terms are in the process of having their symptoms assessed and being diagnosed.

Mind you, most narcissists don't ask to be diagnosed. It's other people looking on who figure out personality disorders.

her ex-boyfriend isn't just a selfish git, he's a 'narcissist'.

Yes! I feel like I’m seeing this in every other post I read, it’s really irritating.

And not just ‘narcissist’ - ‘narc’ - it’s so overused it got its own nickname now.

Yep, I completely agree.

Where does being bit of a twat stop and ‘suffering from anxiety’ (and not letting your partner go out without ringing to check up on them) start?

I completely agree. There’s a push towards medicalisation of the human experience.

I’m sick of people describing themselves as “a bit OCD” or “a bit autistic”. Just stop. Stop. And then fuck off. Diagnostic labels MEAN something. They are about more than just self-regraded quirk, or well-circumscribed temporary difficulties.

I am so bored of these threads - there seems to be a new one daily. None of these things are black and white - just because something doesn't meet the clinical criteria for diagnosis, doesn't mean that it doesn't cause someone problems. People can have narcissistic traits without meeting the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder. Sharing information about these traits can help others trapped in abusive relationships. I was raised by someone who was diagnosed with NPD (not that they ever accepted that diagnosis, obviously), and I am not offended by people describing non-diagnosed behaviours as narcissistic.

@Areyoufree
just because something doesn't meet the clinical criteria for diagnosis, doesn't mean that it doesn't cause someone problems

What's so terrible about just having problems? We all have them, we don't all feel the need to label them. The next stage is the 'pill for every ill' mentality.

And where did all these so-called narcissists suddenly come from? There were none of them around in the 1970s - some people were just 'horrible'.

I completely agree. In all my years working in Mental Health services I only met one person with a diagnosis of NPD and yet everyone on MN seems to have a Mother or SIL or Ex partner who has it

I have to agree.
Overuse/ misuse of diagnostic words and random speculation completely minimises when people do actually have the real thing.

I have come to the conclusion that everything on MN must fit into a box and have an actual label. As the OP says, some people are just plain horrible. My kids are grown now, but I have also had to go and google lots of the terms used about feeding and regression too (new GS so it is vaguely relevant!).

Also "call them out" WTF is this? It seems to basically mean "speak to them about it". Why does it need such a drama llama name.

Not quite on a par with self-diagnosing, but I also get concerned about the number of fully grown adults on here - usually, but not exclusively MILs - who seem to throw themselves to the floor and wail. I have never, ever seen anyone (other than a small child) do this.