Narcissistic behavior in teens can manifest itself in different ways. Rude actions, hurting others, and thinking they are always right are typical behaviors of narcissistic teens. Parents and teens need to discover the root of the insecurity that causes this narcissistic behavior in children to manage these troublesome behaviors. Our experts at Key Healthcare in Los Angeles specialize in helping teens struggling with mental health issues, including those adolescents struggling with a teenage narcissistic personality disorder. Also, an important aspect of our approach is fostering positive thinking for teens, which can be crucial in managing these troublesome behaviors.
What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition where an individual thinks extremely high of themselves. Most of the time, teenagers with NPD feel far too important and act contemptuously when dealing with their peers or people around them. Contrary to popular belief, narcissism is not only about physical appearance but also the traits of the individual, their skills, intelligence, or their success.
Different Types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder in Teenagers
The Covert Narcissist, The covert narcissist is timid and has low self-esteem. They thrive on other people’s attention, though, and will create problems or exaggerate problems to have others feel sorry for them.
- The Cerebral Narcissist These individuals are often highly intelligent and use that to gain power by belittling others and making them feel stupid.
- The Hypervigilant Narcissist Physical narcissists get their self-importance from their bodies. They will obsess over their looks and weight and overreact if anything is not perfect.
- The Spiritual Narcissist They use their faith to make others feel bad. They often have great knowledge of the Bible and constantly preach to others. The problem with this is when a spiritual narcissist starts twisting the religion to become self-rewarding and make themselves more important than they are.
Common Traits and Indicators of NPD in Teenagers
Differentiating whether a teen is confident or a narcissist may be a tough nut to crack. However, here are a few common characteristics in narcissistic teens that may help:
- Always wanting to be right, feeling better than everybody else, expecting the accolades without putting in the effort, Bragging or boasting, being distracted with strength, excellence, and beauty.
- Feel like things can’t go on without them.
- They take over the conversation.
- Exploit others to achieve what they want.
- Inability to show empathy, act egotistical or prideful, and be pretentious.
- Demand the best of everything.
- Become intensely angry if not getting their way.
- Belittle others to make them seem inferior
- Experience problems guiding emotions and behavior
- Experience severe problems managing stress.
- Feel discouraged if somebody corrects them
- Have mystery sensations of instability, shame, weakness, and embarrassment.
Emotional Patterns and Responses in Adolescents with NPD
Understanding the emotional detachment in teens with narcissistic personality disorder helps explain their behavior. Most of the time, their lack of empathy is not within their control but results from an empathy deficit, making it difficult for them to manage their emotional responses.
They are also rarely satisfied with their achievements and successes, which may lead to struggles with emotional regulation. However, note that even though most narcissists lack empathy, some narcissistic teens are empaths.
Parenting a teen with NPD can be tough owing to the above emotional patterns and responses. However, there are several helpful strategies worth exploring. For example, encourage them to talk openly about their emotions or keep a mood journal to help them reflect more on their feelings and thoughts.
Causes and Contributing Factors of Narcissistic Personality Disorder in Teens
According to popular stories, narcissistic personality disorder traces back to Greek mythology. Narcissus, a very handsome young man, saw his reflection in a pool of water and became so lovestruck that he made it a full-time job, which eventually led to his death. Despite being wasted and frail, he kept by the pool, marveling at how a beautiful creation he was till his death.
Most of the time, we hear people being termed as narcissists, but have you ever thought about what makes them that way? Is it self-imposed or beyond their control? Here are a few factors that help explain what causes and contributes to teen narcissism:
Environmental Influences and Parental Impact on Teenage NPD
A teen’s environment may have something to do with their narcissistic personality disorder. According to research, environments that prioritize individualism produce more narcissistic individuals than cultures that prioritize collectivity.
Childhood experiences and parenting styles also have an influence on teen behaviors and traits. Teens who were criticized, neglected, or downplayed as children may turn out to be narcissists. Additionally, teens who were over-praised when growing up may have inflated egos, common in people with a narcissistic personality disorder. Other studies also show that a child’s genetics may contribute to their narcissistic disorders.
Psychological and Societal Factors Contributing to NPD in Adolescents
Society has always had its way of influencing our lives, whether positively or negatively, which also applies to teen development. Most of the time, without even noticing, teenagers find themselves striving to fulfill societal expectations or attain the picture-perfect life portrayed by the media. For example, the desire to attain certain beauty standards or success can compel a teenager to assert a sense of self-importance and perfection, often leading to lack of empathy and self-centeredness.
Psychological factors like low self-esteem have also been linked to narcissistic personality disorders. To help your teens navigate such issues, remind them they are unique. You should also promote healthy coping skills and provide a safe space where they can air their concerns. Acknowledging small achievements is also a good way to boost your teenager’s self-esteem.
Self-Absorbed Teen or Narcissistic Disorder
As children grow up, many changes happen inside the body, inside the brain, making new friends, and developing their personality. All these changes can make children seem selfish and uncaring at times.
A true teen narcissist has a complex. They only care about themselves and often put down others to feel superior. Their entire world has to revolve around them and their wants and needs.
One problem with identifying truly narcissistic behavior in teens is that they naturally go through a selfish period as their hormones and emotions develop. Not every egotistical teen is demonstrating narcissistic behavior. Some are just struggling to find their place in the world.
Impact of Narcissistic Personality Disorder on Teens
NPD can have far-reaching consequences on the teen and those around them owing to its effects on emotional well-being and social relationships. Let’s explore the challenges faced by teens with narcissistic personality disorders and the condition’s impact on relationships and social interactions.
Challenges Faced by Teens with NPD
Most teens with NPD struggle with low self-esteem. They find it hard to love and accept themselves and often take it out on the least expecting persons around them. Narcissistic teens also crave attention and validation, and a lack of either or both can leave them emotionally distressed.
In situations like this, understanding your teen and helping them adopt and practice healthy coping skills are major steps to getting them help. Remind them that they are worthy and adequate and that they don’t require consistent validation.
Impact on Relationships and Social Interactions
Teenage narcissism can have profound social consequences. Due to their desire to be seen and feel important and their inability to exercise empathy, teen narcissists often strain their peer interactions. Failure to reciprocate genuine love to people they relate with may make them alienated.
Understanding the consequences of this disorder on the psychological and social aspects of a teen’s life helps in effective intervention and support. Addressing these consequences can help you build an environment that promotes resilience and encourages healthy coping mechanisms.
Risk Factors of Narcissistic Personality Disorder in Teenagers
More boys than girls demonstrate narcissistic tendencies. This is mainly due to the risk-taking behaviors that boys engage in to impress their friends. They strive to be the best among their peers.
Some parents don’t know how to deal with their child’s teenage problems. Some experts feel that overprotective parents who neglect their teens may also be the cause of their teenager’s egotistical behavior.
Teenage Narcissistic Personality Disorder Complications
Complications of the egotistical state:
- Relationship challenges
- Issues at school or college
- Depression and Anxiety
- Medical and mental issues
- Medication or Alcohol abuse
- Self-harming behaviors
How Is Teen Narcissistic Personality Disorder Diagnosed?
NPD is not diagnosable through a routine medical exam, bloodwork, or x-rays because it is a personality disorder. Most cases are diagnosed after the patient or someone close to them notices the symptoms and behaviors typical of a narcissist. Once suspicion is aroused, however, a physician might order a medical exam, MRI, or bloodwork to determine if a physical ailment is causing the irrational behavior.
If they find no physical cause, the physician will refer you to a psychologist who will administer surveys and questionnaires to help identify certain behavioral tendencies. If narcissistic behavior is diagnosed, structure and a treatment plan through a qualified behavioral teen therapy center, which may include a teen personality disorder treatment and teen outpatient treatment, are often recommended.
A slight form of narcissistic behavior exists in all of us through the ego, it’s part of our psyche. Problems arise, however, when narcissistic behavior disrupts relationships, activities, and behaviors. NPD spans a range from self-harm to harming others. The feeling of wanting to be the best at everything can often leave the person feeling like they aren’t good at anything.
Therapy Approaches and Interventions
Dealing with a teen with mental health conditions can be stressful, but on the bright side, there are effective solutions. Several therapeutic interventions can be administered to help such teens improve their well-being and build meaningful relationships with those around them.
At Key Healthcare, we provide professional counseling that addresses underlying causes of different mental health issues. Here are the common therapeutic interventions we administer when counseling teens with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD):
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Metacognitive Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Family Therapy
It’s essential to note that therapy for teen narcissistic personality disorder should be an ongoing process. Each individual responds differently to therapeutic approaches; therefore, a personalized treatment plan is crucial. Feel free to contact us for tailored treatment plans if your teen is struggling with this condition.
Prevention of Narcissistic Personality Disorder in Teens
Since the cause of egotistical activity is obscure, there may even be no known technique for preventing it. The best advice is to get help for teens who display narcissistic behaviors. Work with family members to deal with the behaviors. Work with a therapist or psychologist to develop a psychological treatment for narcissistic personality disorder plan.
Support and Resources for Parents and Caregivers
Parenting teens with a narcissistic personality disorder is rarely smooth sailing. It requires strength and patience and demands that you take care of your mental health. Luckily, there are several helpful resources that can help you navigate the associated challenges gracefully. Consider the following:
- Educate yourself on NPD to understand its characteristics and how to deal with them.
- Seek professional help- Key Healthcare has professionals to get you through the process.
- Create boundaries- Boundaries help cultivate healthy environments crucial for recovery.
- Explore online resources- Mental health-related websites can offer comprehensive information and advice on dealing with narcissistic children.
How to Help a Narcissist Teenager?
Not only teenagers but even many celebrities also deal with mental health issues. If you’re seeing signs of narcissism in your teenager, there is no need to worry. At Key Healthcare, we are ready to develop a successful teen substance abuse treatment plan. Contact us today, if you are looking for the best teen narcissistic personality disorder treatment center in Los Angeles, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Westwood, Pacific Palisades, or Beverly Hills. Call us now for a free and confidential consultation.
