Narcissism and Alcoholism: Similarities, Differences, Diagnosis

But what if you’ve come to realize that your partner is also a narcissist? Dealing with that recognition in a healthy way requires a different response than the one prompted by the disease model. In fact, empathy and support are actually not helpful in dealing with a narcissist. Narcissistic and abusive individuals will seek ways to manipulate the survivor, co-parent, or child. Ivy Kwong, LMFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in relationships, love and intimacy, trauma and codependency, and AAPI mental health. Therapy, narcissistic abuse groups, and other resources can help educate and support you.

Narcissism and alcohol use disorder

People with NPD also may be highly functioning, which may mislead those around them from thinking they have a disorder. In truth, we all have various kinds of insecurities, but we don’t have to let those insecurities control the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. If you feel lost about who you are as a person and where you are in life right now, there’s a way to get back on the path toward feeling more like your true self. With AUD, a person’s behavior may change depending on whether they are sober or not. An individual with NPD will display a consistent pattern of narcissistic behavior. NPD is a personality disorder, whereas AUD is a substance use disorder.

Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism: Associations with Alcohol Use, Alcohol Problems and Problem Recognition

• According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 22.6% of people with a personality disorder also have a substance use disorder (SUD), which can include alcohol use.
• When you’re caught in the crossfire of someone with these symptoms, recognize that you aren’t responsible for their behavior—as much as they might try to pin it on you or someone else.
• Though age was collected, it was not controlled for due to the sample being so homogenous.
• This isn’t an excuse for acting in hurtful ways, but it is something to keep in mind when dealing with a narcissist.
• Children and adolescents are experiencing a sense of loss and emotional turmoil from the divorce, which can impact their well-being as adults.

They look like the best version of themselves – more secure, happier, and healthier. Contact The Dawn today to receive a no obligation assessment and find out what help is available. People with NPD have an inflated sense of themselves and may perceive the causes of their problems to be external rather than internal and may not seek treatment. Furthermore, they’ll have learned that they can’t trust anyone because those they were vulnerable with ended up betraying them.

• However, there are steps they can take to reduce risks within their control.
• A doctor can offer help and treatment to those dealing with addiction, which may involve suggesting lifestyle changes or rehabilitation clinics.
• As a result, children of covert narcissist parents learn early on that their caregivers can’t be trusted.
• Following alcohol guidelines can help people stay within moderate levels of alcohol consumption.
• If you think you’re misusing alcohol, or if you think you have NPD, reach out to a mental health professional.

Maintaining healthy relationships

• They’ll give others the silent treatment or withhold any kind of emotional attention or affection.
• A covert narcissist might present themselves in a way that looks like they are giving, but their giving behavior always has the intent of getting something in return.
• Since children of covert narcissist parents aren’t taught to be self-confident and to have faith in themselves, but instead to constantly put themselves down, they end up having low self-esteem.
• Excessive drinking or drug use can cause a narcissist to spiral into destructive behavior, thus attracting attention and care from others.

The narcissists mostly had unrealistic demands for the therapist, other patients and anyone else involved in the treatment programme. When their criteria of perfection failed to be met by others, the narcissists usually quit treatment, spotlighting a key challenge in narcissism and addiction. Narcissists tend to deny that they are addicted to drugs, regardless of what it looks like.

What is grandiose narcissism?

• By doing so, they gain the admiration and praise they crave, while also garnering support against those whom they feel bitter toward.
• People with NPD and people with AUD might have some symptoms in common.
• Covert narcissist traits may be more common among some personality types.
• When dealing with covert narcissistic abuse, or any form of abuse, a safety plan can help protect you if a harmful situation escalates.
• They know how to deal with self-absorbed, manipulative people who are incapable of showing them real care and affection, so that’s who they end up befriending and dating.
• People with covert narcissism may not outwardly discuss these feelings of envy, but they might express bitterness or resentment when they don’t get what they believe they deserve.

A 2020 study from Germany [5] showed that those with vulnerable (covert) narcissism are prone to suppressing their emotions, leading to distress including depressive disorders and anxiety. This emotional suppression also prevents them from feeling other emotions such as joy, which in turn can intensify their depression. Many covert narcissists use self-deprecation or false humility to encourage others to appreciate and praise them. Furthermore, their public face will rarely mirror their home or personal life. Although trauma related to abuse can be a major contributing factor to developing NPD, it’s often parental invalidation regarding a traumatic experience that can contribute to a young person developing covert narcissism.

As a result, these individuals require others to affirm their importance and value. Once they receive this affirmation, they experience grandiosity and may behave in an arrogant and entitled way. However, without affirmation, the same individual may feel depressed and ashamed. Therefore, the presence or absence of external validations of their value determines whether a person may have the traits of grandiose narcissism or vulnerable narcissism. It is important to note, however, that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) does not distinguish between types of narcissism. The idea of vulnerable versus grandiose narcissism comes from the psychodynamic idea that people with narcissistic traits believe they need to be perfect to be okay.

Covert narcissism traits

Alcoholism is an addiction where people cannot control their alcohol use. Narcissism and alcoholism may both share similar characteristics and covert narcissism and alcoholism can occur at the same time. Recognizing these links traits may enable individuals to seek appropriate help in managing these conditions.

That said, if there’s a narcissist parent who has turned one of their children into a scapegoat, that child may end up with covert narcissism in turn because of the cruelty they’re subjected to. Covert narcissists exhibit some of the same traits that overt narcissists do in romantic relationships, but these traits will manifest differently. As mentioned earlier, rather than being aggressive and overtly cruel in their abuse, covert narcissists turn inward and express their anger or dissatisfaction passively. Covert narcissism is a type of narcissism—more formally known as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)—that is characterized by introversion and subtle manipulation. This can include behaviors that may not be obviously harmful at first, but that accumulate over time.

Those suffering from psychological abuse by a narcissist assume that this is love and seek ways to cope. You can also visit Psych Central’s mental health resource hub, which has information about how to find mental health support. The underlying cause of each is sometimes not the same, but the behaviors can seem very similar. Aggressive behavior and pathological narcissism were linked to alcohol overuse in a 2017 study of Canadian men.