mental health disorders
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
A doctor's evaluation, based on standard psychiatric diagnostic criteria , 5th ed, Text Revision ( Classification and Diagnosis of Mental Illness ), the standard reference for psychiatric diagnosis from the American Psychiatric Association. For doctors to diagnose narcissistic personality disorder, people must persistently have an inflated view of self-worth, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, as shown by at least 5 of the following: They have an exaggerated, unfounded sense of their own importance and talents (grandiosity). They are preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited achievements, influence, power, intelligence, beauty, or perfect love. They believe that they are special and unique and should associate only with people of the highest caliber. They need to be unconditionally admired. They feel entitled. They exploit others to achieve their own goals. They lack empathy. They envy others and believe that others envy them. They are arrogant and haughty. Also, symptoms must have begun by early adulthood. 