The Fifty Shades Of Narcissism

NPD is a serious kind of disease

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A few years ago I saw the trailer of the movie Fifty Shades of Grey and am joyed to write about the protagonist, Christian Grey. The obvious narcissism of Mr. Grey was what drew me into this movie's trailer. 

Though there is an amazing storyline in this film, but that is not my main focus so leave the movie fifty shades of grey. The main goal of this article is to highlight the character traits that are common in narcissists so that you can reduce your chances of becoming ensnared by these narcissism disorder-based people.

Without knowing much about mental health conditions, popular culture has a habit of quickly adopting specific terminology. For those suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder, the term "narcissist" has negative connotations, and there is little understanding of this complex condition and its treatment options.

What Is exactly Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

A narcissistic personality disorder is an identified mental health condition, not a personal choice in how one behaves or interacts with others. It usually manifests itself in a person's adolescence or early adulthood, and it can cause significant stress in personal relationships as well as a fragile sense of self-esteem.

While many adults exhibit one or two narcissistic tendencies in certain situations, such as expecting displays of affection and praise from a partner or believing they are the best at their job, a medical professional must observe at least five of nine recognized symptoms in order to make a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. 

Psychologists will also take a glance at a constant display of symptoms in various aspects of life, such as work, home, and relationships.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms

Common narcissistic personality disorder symptoms include:

A constant need for praise and admiration from others

Grandiosity; an exaggerated sense of self-importance

Entitlement

Taking advantage of others on a regular basis for personal gain

Feelings of jealousy and distrust that persist Fantasies about power, adoration, and success

A lack of empathy

Acting arrogantly, haughtily, or scornfully

An unwavering belief in one's own special, unique, and superior status

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Causes

Narcissistic personality disorder, like any other personality disorder, has unknown causes. However, it is widely assumed that environmental, neurobiological, and genetic factors all play a role in the development of narcissistic personality disorder. 

Parenting styles that were overly protective or neglectful in their childhood may have an impact on people who are predisposed to the disorder.

Now let's start with certain terminology

What exactly is a narcissist? They are, in essence, the epitome of selfishness. Everything they believe, do, and feel is solely for their own benefit. 

People are used as a means to an end for them, then discarded until the narcissist requires them again for more self-serving reasons.

Though narcissism is a term used loosely today to describe people who are obsessed with selfies, it can reach clinical levels.  I'm not going to get bogged down in the clinical aspects of narcissism as a personality disorder. 

I simply want you to gain awareness from this article. Because most people are unable to recognize their torment as narcissistic abuse. Most victims are simply aware that something is "off," and they are baffled and hopeless.

Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey is my model for this article. I'll identify and then elaborate on some of his narcissistic characteristics (in bold letters below) so, please don't take this at in your emotions.

Childhood adversity: There are theories about how people become clinically narcissistic. One theory is that of childhood trauma and the subsequent need for survival. 

There's a chance the narcissist in your life has experienced significant trauma. NOTICE: Not everyone who experiences childhood trauma develops into a narcissist.

Billionaire designation: Narcissists are frequently seen at the top, such as CEOs and Presidents. 

They believe they are the best and are entitled to the title, pay, and other benefits that come with being the best. Their egos drive them to achieve this level of success. NOTE: Not everyone with a strong sense of self-worth or a high-ranking position is a narcissist.

Attractiveness: Many narcissists "pose" (put on an act) in order to gain praise and admiration. This attention provides them with the fuel (i.e., positive or negative emotional responses) they require to survive. 

These charmers are frequently (but not always) attractive, polished, and have a lot of nice things. They'll drive flashy cars, wear pricey jewelry and shoes, and flaunt their trophy wives/husbands. 

NOTE: Not everyone who is attractive and has nice things is a narcissist.

Control: This is something crucial for narcissists. They must have complete control over everything. One of their strongest emotions is power, which they obtain through control. 

When narcissists lose control, their rage manifests itself in the form of yelling, name-calling, criticism, and so on. It is a horrific scene that only gets worse with time for the person on the receiving end. NOTICE: Not everyone who struggles with control is a narcissist.

Heartless:  Narcissists, of course, have hearts as organs. But what about hearts as emotional banks that understand genuine give and take and feel emotions like empathy? Not at all. Narcissists do experience human emotions. Their emotions are dominated by power, rage, fury, and jealousy, rather than love, happiness, joy, and compassion. 

As a result, narcissists do not love anyone, including themselves. They simply cannot feel love in the way that most people understand it. They can, without a doubt, feel pleasure, excitement, and other similar emotions. 

However, the feeling of love as most people know it is not something they understand. This is one of the reasons why narcissistic partners feel so betrayed.

 

The partner is perplexed as to how someone who loves them can make them feel unwanted, unloved, and punished. NOTICE: Not everyone who has emotional issues is a narcissist.

Flat, black eyes: Narcissists are said to have eyes of coal. Because the eyes are said to be the windows to the soul, it stands to reason that narcissists have nothing behind their eyes. 

Take note of yourself. You will notice it not in the early stages of your relationship when they are attempting to win you over, but later on, when they begin to devalue you. Note: Please keep in mind that not everyone with black, cold, empty eyes is a narcissist.

Jealousy:  jealousy is one of a narcissist's emotions. When you enter their circle, especially as a partner, they believe they own you. As a result, you will be expected to be at their fingertips. 

You will not pay attention to anyone else, you will not make the narcissist wait more than three seconds to respond to their text messages, and you will continue to admire them.  And they will not admit to being hurt. They'll simply demonstrate it through their other passive-aggressive behaviors. NOTICE: Not everyone who has a jealous streak is a narcissist.

Inconsistency: They prefer you one minute and hate you the next. They wish for you and then they don't. They say one thing but do another thing or work. They shift with the wind. 

When you question them about it, they'll either claim they never said or did anything, or that you misunderstood them. It won't be their fault in any case. Nothing is ever. NOTICE: Not all people who are inconsistent are narcissists.

Who else are the world's narcissists besides Christian Grey? They are your brothers and sisters, coworkers, spouses, partners, children, friends, service providers, and neighbors. Narcissists can be found anywhere. And they seek to destroy anyone or anything that stands in their way of obtaining fuel and power.

When we meet and fall under the gravitational pull of a narcissist, we enter an important life lesson in which we must learn how to draw boundaries, self-respect, and resilience. Our relationship with narcissists teaches us the necessary lessons we need to become mature empaths through trial and error (and a lot of pain).

So that's it I hope you took an awareness with this article and this article will help you to overcome these points if you are a narcissist.

Also, have an eye on my other blogs by clicking my name.

Syeda Javeria Ansari

Always Grateful!