Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by grandiosity, an inflated sense of self and an inability to empathize with others. Personality disorders affect a person's social and occupational functioning. Symptoms of personality disorders usually start to show in adolescents. However, many mental health professionals will not diagnose someone with a personality disorder until they are 18 years old, because a teenager's personality changes over time and solidifies in adulthood.
Lack of Empathy
Someone with this disorder might have a hard time relating to others. She may not listen and can't identify with another's emotions. For example, a co-worker could tell her that he had to put his dog to sleep, and she would change the subject to her purebred golden retriever that is the smartest dog that she's ever seen. Someone with this disorder tries to dominate the conversation and instead of listening, thinks about what she wants to say next.
Dramatic Behavior
Someone with a narcissistic personality disorder would seem overly dramatic to others. She would always want to be the center of attention and may make up dramatic stories in order to gain attention. She might also exaggerate achievements and successes. For instance, she might say that she ran a marathon when she ran a half-marathon. Friends, family members and co-workers probably get annoyed by the person's need for attention and it can affect the person's ability to maintain long-term relationships. People with this disorder need admiration from others and become extremely angry and upset from criticism.
Importance
The world revolves around someone with a narcissistic personality disorder. Many times teenagers appear to think that the world revolves around them; however, they usually grow out of this thinking by adulthood. Someone with this disorder thinks that he is extremely important and special. He may think that he is talented, extremely smart, attractive and unique. They usually demand services from the best professionals and have a sense of entitlement. For instance, he may demand to see a doctor that graduated from an Ivy League medical school or receive services from a lawyer that graduated at the top of his class.
Oblivious
A person with a narcissistic personality disorder believes that problems with relationships and his career are not due to his personality disorder. Instead, he believes it's someone else's fault. For example, he would not be able to recognize that he alienates people with his dramatic behavior and lack of empathy. He might instead believe that they are inferior to him and were jealous of his talents.
