npd

[PooPooInMyToes]

Hi, does anyone know if this is something a person is born with or if it is learnt behaviour through how they are treated and raised as children?

All character traits are a combination of innate personality and learned behaviour. We may start out totally dependent but, as we get older, we have influences other than our parents - or we should do. In my own family past there was one particularly terrible figure. Of the children she gave birth to, two went on to be fairly normal and well-balanced & two have very chaotic lives. My feeling is that the latter two used her as a role model to be emulated because it suited their personalities and the others as a 'dire warning', an example of what to avoid, because they aspired to other role models that fitted their personalities better.

Good question lol!

I would like to know too?

I would like to hope at worst it is 50/50 so that if it is ie dc you are worried about at least you got a chance of nurturing them to push the balance to 70/30!

I guess you would need to look at identical twins seperated at birth and outcomes? If one is a serial killer and the other not etc!

No luckily Im not worried about my children!

A family that i know. The dad and daughter both. Not that Im an expert but i often think they both fit. The other child of the dad, not at all!

Lucky you!

Why are you?

I think they are born that way, or at the very least have some kind of genetic predisposition which reacts with experiences they have to produce the narcissist.

Both of the Ns I know that I know what they were like as children, their parents described them as difficult or that there was "something about them". And in both cases the narcs had siblings who are totally normal. A lot of Ns seem to have difficult/troubling childhoods, but I wonder how much of this is causation - e.g. the childhood caused the narcissism, and how much is correlation, e.g. if narcissism is inherited then the parent of a N is likely to be a N themselves.

One of the Ns I know didn't have a particularly troubling childhood, though.

I think Ex learned a lot of his behaviours from his mother. She had a very abusive childhood (maternal abuse) I often wonder about what was cause and what was effect.

Well it will depend on if nuture can overide nature I guess...looking positive!

What you describe is the 50/50 chance one dc had it the other not! Same as Bertie just did too.

My ds has AS just trying to see if their is a link between As dc and PD df as this is my situ and many more mums too I have spoken too...worrying!

I think think Narc should be a compulsory trait in ASPD (psychopathy I prefer as people think it's a sleep disorder).

Good question Bertie as the npd could cause the destruction not other way round!

So is it thought to be a personality thing or that the brain actually works differently?

I work with people with a personality disorders. It's generally accepted that upbringing is the main component in forming a personality disorder. There is a good website from Mind here.

In the case of npd the narcissism is a defence against a very low self-esteem.

I think it's dangerous to attribute too much to 'the way the brain works', because that suggests that the individual is solely at the mercy of their physiology and that things like convention, free-will & conscience are not in play. Someone who recognises that they are quick-tempered, for example, can either decide to make everyone's life miserable by being permanently aggressive or they can consiciously choose to curb their temper. Obviously, if there is some severe damage or disorder, the amount of choice the person has may be limited.

'That's just the way I am' is no excuse.

I think I read somewhere that npd occurs by the time the child is 3,because of the parenting style.Whether the same parenting style might not affect another child in the same way,I do not know.

Someone with a pd will probably have a different set of thought processes, but no difference in the structure of the brain. So they might hold beliefs formed in their childhood like "i am not loveable" or "the world is a dangerous place" which will change how they perceive things. They might also not know how to regulate their emotions (e.g. how to calm down when angry or upset) because they were never modelled this as children.

In the case of npd the person usually feels worthless but is unable to deal with this feeling, so convinces themself they are special or have special talents. If this specialness is not recognised by others it is distressing, because they are unable to face their hidden fear that they are worthless.

I totally agree with cognito that people with a pd are responsible for their actions 100%. It is not the same as being psychotic or very depressed where you may not be able to control yourself.

the person I sort of know with it,seems trapped by their emotions.If they step into reality,it sort of blows their fantasy apart,and they cant cope.

I should be keeping my nose out and on me own thread but this is interesting too!

The amygdala is different in psychopathy (ASPD) to NT and similar in AS!

This is about emotions and reading emotions.

Also studies have shown the lack of eye contact from baby to parent effects neuropathways and again ASPD symptoms...so allow this bit nurture...effects brain development (nature)