Covert Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms

What are the covert narcissistic personality disorder symptoms?

Covert Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms

The narcissistic personality disorder is a mental condition characterized by the excessive attention seeking, admiration from others, sense of entitlement, and the lack of empathy.

This psychological condition in most cases, cause problems in many areas of life including but not limited to relationships, job, and academic journey.

Narcissistic individuals are emotionally devastated when they donât get the appreciation and favors they think they deserve. If their sense of entitlement is not fully satisfied, they tend to view their relationship and others as inappropriate.

Oftentimes, narcissistic people are often found to have the following characteristics:

  • Extreme level of self-importance
  • Excessive sense of entitlement
  • Excessively need appreciation and admiration from others
  • Always want to be regarded as superior without considerable achievement
  • Have fantasies about personal power, success, intelligence, and attractiveness
  • Regard themselves as above others
  • Tend to belittle others just to make themselves seem to be over other people
  • Tend to achieve whatever they want at the expense of othersâ dignity or possession
  • Lack of sensitivity of the othersâ feelings
  • Believe that they have the best of everything that they have

Most of the time you hear people mention the word narcissist. But they only mean the common condition, the narcissistic personality disorder in general.

However, this condition has two types as recently recognized by researchers and behavioral experts. The more subtle version of narcissism is known as the covert narcissistic disorder.

The covert narcissistic personality disorder is a difficult condition to determine. But the outcome is fairly the same â it is destructive in many areas of life as the outward narcissism.

The common reason why a person develops into a narcissistic individual can be traced back to childhood. The parenting styles that parents promulgate to their children may play an important role.

A child may have been given too much attention and love or lack of these basic care. These tendencies may become the precursor to narcissism latter in the adolescence period.

Children who lack love and attention during childhood tend to gratify that longing in the later part of life. As a result, a person tends to fill the hollow part of his personhood and does whatever it takes to attain that goal.

Like the outward narcissism, the covert narcissism also has common manifestations. The following are the covert narcissistic personality disorder symptoms:

1. False humility

The characteristics of outward narcissists are easy to spot. But covert narcissism is a bit difficult to recognize. A covert narcissist is very good at playing othersâ perception. Covert narcissists would deliberately put themselves in an undesirable situation making others believe that they are good enough in dealing with challenging time. Such false humility may result in compliments. They do what they do not because they are truly humble but because they want the world to bite their bait.

False humility stems from their goal to achieve superiority and high status. They use humility as a medium to attain popularity.

2. Lack of empathy

Narcissists are commonly known as people with no compassion and true emotional connection with others. The very reason for this is because they are not capable of feeling what others are feeling. In short, they lack empathy. Selfish. They donât want to help others. If they do, they make sure that the credit will be theirs. These people are emotionally withdrawn and isolated but seemingly close with anybody.

3. Incongruent responses

Covert narcissists are overly sensitive and vulnerable to criticisms. They cannot take suggestions and constructive comments. They treat it as a direct attack. But they donât speak about it. Rather they put the blame on others.

4. Indifferent of othersâ needs

Covert narcissists do not listen to othersâ concern. They are preoccupied of their personal wants and goals. They donât take any responsibility for their action. Instead, they point their finger and put the blame on others. This is the reason why they struggle in a relationship or in any type of social interaction.

These characteristics are just a few of the covert narcissistic personality disorder symptoms. Narcissists may show more. But you donât see it often. Covert narcissists operate silently. Their moves are concealed in obvious and deliberate actions.

It is important to note though that not all silent people are covert narcissists.