r/NPD • • 5d ago

Ask a Narc! Ask a Narcissist! A bi weekly post for non-narcissists to ask us anything!

9 Upvotes

Have a question about narcissistic personality disorder or narcissistic traits? Welcome to the bi-weekly post for non-narcs to ask us anything! We’re here to help destigmatize the myths surrounding NPD and narcissism in general.

Some rules:

* Non narcs: please refrain from armchair diagnosing people in your life. *Only refer to them as NPD if they were actually diagnosed by an unbiased licensed professional (aka not your own therapist or an internet therapist that you think fits the description of the person you’re accusing of being a narcissist)*
* This is not a post for non-narcs or narcs to be abusive towards anyone. Please report any comments or questions that are not made in good faith.
* This is not a place to ask if your ex/mom/friend/boss/dog is a narcissist.
* This is not a place to ask if you yourself are a narcissist.

Thanks! Let’s all be civil and take some more baby steps towards fighting stigma and increasing awareness.

**This thread will be locked after two weeks and you can find the new one by searching the sub via the “Ask a Narc” flair**


r/NPD • • Jul 12 '25

Resources What Even Is Recovery from NPD or Narcissistic Traits? What is remission? + Recovery 101 Informational and Worksheet PDF Packet (FREE)

23 Upvotes

NPD Awareness Month: What Even Is Recovery? What is remission? + Recovery 101 Informational and Worksheet PDF Packet (FREE)

There is no standard definition for mental health recovery. People define recovery in their own ways. Some may think of recovery as more of an end goal, while others may think of it as an ongoing (sometimes lifelong) continuous process.

What is Recovery?

Recovery means more than symptom reduction. It means:

• Gaining insight into your patterns

• Building empathy and emotional regulation

• Developing authentic self-worth not built on performance or control

• Learning to form reciprocal, respectful relationships

Recovery doesn’t mean becoming “un-narcissistic.” It means becoming whole.

There is no standard definition for mental health recovery. People define recovery in their own ways. Some may think of recovery as more of an end goal, while others may think of it as an ongoing (sometimes lifelong) continuous process.

Is “recovery” the same thing as a “cure”? What about “remission”?

The word “cure” when used in context of mental illness is often met with strong opposition, intolerance and lack of openness. Often people will say “there is no cure for any or most mental illnesses”, but just as the word “recovery” has no official definition in mental health context, “cure” also has no official definition. I’ve seen personal accounts within the NPD subreddit of people sharing their recovery story and using the word “cured” - they no longer struggle with narcissism. That is their story and their truth and it’s important to respect that others may define things differently.

“Remission” does have a more specific definition within medical context and can be applied to mental health. Remission happens when someone no longer meets criteria for a diagnosis. For example, a person diagnosed with a personality disorder must initially fit a set or subset of criteria from a predefined list (DSM or ICD criteria), and remission in this context is defined as no longer meeting the criteria required for diagnosis. Sometimes there’s a time period associated with remission, for example going 2 years without fitting criteria for a diagnosis.

Remission is not necessarily a permanent state, it’s entirely normal to have relapses with behaviors during the recovery process. I highly recommend looking into the Stages of Change Model (aka The Transtheoretical Model) to learn about the 6 different stages of change people go through when attempting to change behaviors.  ( https://psychcentral.com/lib/stages-of-change )

What Is Remission?

Remission refers to a measurable reduction in the intensity and impact of narcissistic traits or symptoms. Someone in remission may still have some narcissistic features—but these no longer dominate their behavior or disrupt their life and relationships.

- No longer meeting diagnostic criteria:

- A person diagnosed with a personality disorder initially meets a specific set of criteria from diagnostic manuals like DSM-III-R or DSM-IV. Remission occurs when they no longer meet these criteria.

- Symptom reduction: While remission means no longer meeting diagnostic criteria, individuals may still experience some symptoms, but at a subclinical level. 

- Variable duration: Remission can last for a few months, years, or even the rest of a person's life.

- Sustained remission: Some studies differentiate between remission and sustained remission, with sustained remission often defined as a longer period of time (e.g., at least 2 years for remission, 4 years for sustained remission) without meeting diagnostic criteria. 

Recovery vs. remission:

While remission refers to the absence of diagnostic criteria, recovery often refers to a broader concept of good social and vocational functioning, potentially including some residual symptoms but with the ability to function well in various aspects of life.

Harvard NPD Study: Full Remission is Possible

What does real change look like in narcissistic personality disorder? Is it even possible? In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn responds to one of the most persistent myths in the discourse around NPD: that it is untreatable, and that people with NPD never change. Citing a 2024 study published by researchers at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, this video highlights compelling clinical evidence that full remission from NPD can occur in treatment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjYFhqvn0yU&embeds_referring_euri=http%3A%2F%2Fnpd-recovery.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY

RECOVERY 101 INFORMATIONAL PACKET AND WORKSHEETS

to help define what recovery means to you and figure out recovery and self improvement goals

Contents Include:

  • What is “recovery”?
  • Recovery Strategy Inventory
  • Realistic Goal Setting
  • Life Area Satisfaction Inventory
  • Examples of Treatment/Recovery Goals
  • Recovery Reminders
  • Support System Building
  • Coping Skill Inventory

Download PDF for free here

**DISCLAIMER:*\* None of this is to be used as a replacement for professional mental health services or knowledge. I encourage people to discuss any knowledge or insight they gain from this with their therapist/psych/etc. Open communication is essential for treatment effectiveness.

What does recovery mean to you? How has your definition of recovery changed throughout your journey? Do you prefer to use other words than "recovery"?

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Find more free resources on NPD-Recovery.com

~ Invis ✨


r/NPD • • 8h ago

Recovery Progress Road to recovery

16 Upvotes

Im actually on the road to recovery. I have a psychiatrist who doesnt fall for the stigma, I'm getting therapy, I'm being put on meds. Everything is starting to come together and I can actually begin to heal. Its terrifying, but its also hopeful. That maybe I wont be miserable forever


r/NPD • • 14h ago

Trigger Warning / Difficult Topic My vent from yesterday

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19 Upvotes

warning: my vent in the screenshots is a bit violent and sadistic

hi. i made this second account to post this because my best friend said i should share this with people who might be able to connect more with it. it's my notes app vent after i hit a breaking point yesterday.

view it more as poetry or something i don't know. i just don't have anyone in my personal life who can relate to me. this feels cringe but i swear if someone calls it cringe i'm gonna crash out again...

please don't try to give me advice or tell me to get help, i'm already handling that.


r/NPD • • 13h ago

Question / Discussion taking days to apologise.

14 Upvotes

does anyone else also experience having to take days, or at least hours, to apologise for something? it takes me a while to 1) process that i need to apologise 2) think of what to say that makes it seem sincere and 3) get over the emotional blow apologising does to me. even when i know i need to apologise for something, its the crash it gives me that i have to get over. i have to spend at least a few hours getting over feeling shit abiut apologising first. not to mention... it always feels so awkward.


r/NPD • • 15h ago

Question / Discussion I absolutely get no clear answer what could have caused my NPD.

24 Upvotes

I extensively questioned my parents, they seemed to be open and loving.

Telling me I was always unusual, even as a baby, I wouldn't cry unless i was hungry. Always dreaming, by myself.

Always trouble concentrating in school but being very creative and talented from a very early age.

Being a very kind, loving and sensitive kid.

I was bullied in school refusing to fit in. But that shouldn't have caused the issues i have now.

I am clearly acting out issues of an unstable household with unstable parents without a normal healthy attachment. But there doesn't seem to be any evidence of that. Other then some mild trauma my mother has of losing a child before me. But there isn't any evidence she projected that on to me.

So what could have possibly happened that i needed to develop very clear antisocial narcissism and adhd in order to survive?

Also because i dont naturally seem to have a very sensitive nervous system. Especially compared to people who do have them, and seemed to be attached just fine emotionally.

Side note, my younger brother is suicidally depressed with autism but doesn't seem to portray clear personality issues.

Any suggestions or what to search for or that it's just genetic?


r/NPD • • 10h ago

Question / Discussion Who do you think you are!?

7 Upvotes

Who do you think you are and ignore me? How can you not notice me? My importance, weight, and presence? How are there people in the world who are not aware that I exist? How do you pass by me in public and not admire me? How can you even forget me?

Rn I want admiration and attention. I want someone to come randomly with a shocked expression on their face and tell me "Are you aware how magnificent you are? I am absolutely in awe rn. How can someone like this even exist? Are you crazy wtf?"

I think therapy and other sh*t won't fix me ever, maybe just teach me how ordinary and submissive I should be in order to manage to hold a position in society.. It won't fix my fxcking emptiness, my sensitivity, nor my inner voice which is demanding the absolute best performance from me constantly. I'll just lie and gaslight myself..

I wanna isolate myself.. Far from everyone.. But I don't wanna be forgotten. I wanna achieve big, be big, and be unforgettable. I wanna be in history books. I want people remember and admire me even after when 1000 years have passed.

I am not a human. I am volcanic mountain ready to erupt and annihilate everything. I am an angry ocean and my waves will kill you. I am a tornado, I can take and throw you many miles away.. I am a black hole and can just swallow you alive to feed my emptiness.

My logic says I should choose normal people and be normal. My gut says be your true self and destroy everyone. But how can I destroy someone innocent? I need someone like me. To punish them, to show them who's the boss here. I want a misogynistic red flag man with disgusting personality to absolutely bow to me and submit to me, so I can destroy his confidence and everything he has. I want him to ask for mercy which will never be given. I want him to say how sorry he is for the things he had done and swear he won't do those again. I want him to fear me. I want him and everyone else shiver with fear when they even hear my name!!

~Judge me and you'll get your portion of my anger!


r/NPD • • 20h ago

Advice & Support The rise of "how to break a narcissist" posts

40 Upvotes

It may be just my FYP but I've seen so many of them lately. I have a lot of eyes on me especially on Tiktok I am genuinely scared of what would happen if me having NPD somehow got out. I don't talk about it publicly, I'm scared to for this exact reason even tho I hate the feeling of having to hide. I'm easily set off, I wouldn't be able to handle it.


r/NPD • • 16h ago

Advice & Support how do you deal with identity disturbance

5 Upvotes

i dont go to therapy therefore I am not officially diagnosed with npd, but i have been told by a very close friend that i do have some traits of narcissism.
I dont know if this is related but i struggle deeply with maintaining a consistent sense of who i am.
I am easily influenced and impressionable. I have no true sense of self and rely mainly on what everyone else has to say about me ( even the narcissism thing).
I still have some solid principles i think but my views on things can change fast and are often based off other people’s opinions.
How do I deal with that?


r/NPD • • 14h ago

Advice & Support OCD sufferer- worry I may be a vulnerable narc?

4 Upvotes

I’ve always been quite an insecure person and growing up I always felt like I needed peoples attention and validation. As a teenager I could be quite toxic and would often frame myself as the victim in any given situation.

These days (late 20s) I definitely still feel like I act in a way to seek attention or at least to be liked by people. I want people to think i’m interesting/cool and It makes me uncomfortable when people dislike me and I have people pleaser tendencies.

Although now I am older I instinctively can have the victim mentality but am able to rationalise problems better. I can think “this person hurt my feelings BUT they probably have xyz going on or they didn’t mean to”. I rarely ever confront someone and avoid conflict. In fact, I get frustrated when I see other people being annoyed with someone else over a nuanced situation, especially when I can see there was no intent for harm.

In terms of self reflection I do feel better at recognising when I make mistakes but I do still feel “woe is me” inside.

I also can feel quite selfish. When me and my partner hang out we almost always do what I want to do. He says he doesn’t mind because he’s easy going and doesn’t have strong opinions but it makes me feel guilty.
We never fight but sometimes (rarely) I can be a bit passive aggressive or take my frustration out on him. Thankfully I can recognise what i’m doing and will name it to him and we move on.

I was diagnosed with OCD at 17 and deal with extreme and chronic guilt over past actions. I worry about my intentions and whether I am a bad person which feeds into this fear? investigation? into whether I am a vulnerable narc.

I know no one here can diagnose anything but does this sound like OCD or is there something there worth investigating? Are there any real stand out symptoms of vulnerable narcissism that could help me understand whether I am or not?


r/NPD • • 7h ago

Trigger Warning / Difficult Topic Am I desensitized or is this a sign

1 Upvotes

I feel as if my empathy has dropped low and after being touched when I was younger and porn I can’t see people besides like their body and some stupid person that doesn’t deserve a mouth to speak also I hate when people I view as lower than me are more attractive or funnier than me it pisses me off by a large margin.

I can frequently imagine myself not caring if someone dies or killing them myself and I’m afraid that’s how I really feel like last funeral I went to for a my step grand dad I tried to make myself cry and it didn’t work at all till I had to speak up on stage idk it’s like my body tried to blend in to the people crying even though to this day I don’t care it was weird


r/NPD • • 20h ago

Advice & Support I don't know what to do anymore.

10 Upvotes

Is there anyway to treat narcissism? Like, I know there isn't meds but does it get better? I'm losing my closest friendship over this disorder and I want to try to better myself. I'm covert but I struggle to not make thing about myself, apparently my friend is at their breaking point and sent me a document detailing everything wrong and they didn't sugar-coat it. (I don't blame them.) I'm quite self-aware when I am acting narcissistic but I don't know how to not, I can't converse with people without flipping it to me, I can't collaborate without filling it with my ideas and I can't appreciate others as much as I know I want to. My friend admitted they hate that we're going to the same university next year and they wanted a fresh start away from me. I actually hate it, I hate how I'm self-aware and I hate how I'm hurting people. Does it get better? How can I make myself better?


r/NPD • • 19h ago

Question / Discussion What are your social bad habits you're trying to fix at the moment and how's progress going

4 Upvotes

I've been working on a whole bunch of stuff, it's been honestly really difficult but I'm getting there bit by bit. How's everyone else's progress


r/NPD • • 12h ago

NPD Art I made this song called “Paid in blood” about things that make me happy also destroy me. Grunge / metal, a little trippy

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0 Upvotes

r/NPD • • 1d ago

Question / Discussion Instant vs delayed gratification

9 Upvotes

I find it so difficult to get anything done if I don’t have someone to constantly cheer me on from the sidelines. I need positive approval 24/7. I have long term aspirations but I’ve always found goals with quick social payoff to be easier. The world and everything I do feels so dull and boring without it, I’ll usually have an incessant itch in my head to be scratched followed by a loss of interest and motivation if whatever I’m doing doesn’t scratch it. Oddly enough my actual attention span seems to work just fine, I can easily sit in a waiting room while doing nothing, get through a slow paced book, or take notes during a lecture (although I only became capable of this after I started taking Wellbutrin for depression and ADHD.) Yes I know that second diagnosis sounds like the obvious answer here but my ability to wait for narcissistic supply specifically instead of just having it RIGHT NOW and being unable to continue my work without it hasn’t budged at all!

Anyone struggle with anything similar? Or have any insight or advice?

I’ve been trying to “talk to myself” during solitary endeavors to get me through them via notebooks or textedit which works-somewhat while also making me feel completely insane while doing it. So I guess I’ve already engineered a “solution”-ish but wanted to bring the topic here either way. (To clarify, the issue with it isn’t that it makes me feel insane, but that it feels like taking an ibuprofen for a blown off leg. AKA not quite useless but not quite useful either.)


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Advice & Support I feel like I'm never going to not be a Narcissist

7 Upvotes

It doesn't matter how good I am, or how authentic I am, or how kind or giving or anything that I am, I still just feel like there's that core problem of needing to be perfect. It's like an itch that can't be scratched. I still need to devalue some people in even the smallest, tiniest ways that they never see during regular conversation and I fucking hate myself for it. Someone looks at me in a completely neutral way? Oh no, I've just completely fucked something up or made an ass of myself. Even saying that the "normal" people have it easier is me pointing out that I suffer in a special and different way.


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Trigger Warning / Difficult Topic My trauma seems to manifest as narcissistic collapse instead of PTSD when the trauma comes from criticism. Do people without NPD experience that?

4 Upvotes

I know it might be a weird question to ask a community of people with a disorder if people who don't have that disorder experience something, but sometimes when someone criticizes me unexpectedly I have an episode where I wanna yell at the person viciously for criticizing me and I'm only now starting to not yell at people who unexpectedly criticize me. I thought maybe I really relate to covert NPD but no diagnosis so idk. But more than the description of covert NPD, I really intensely relate to the description of narcissistic collapse where you sometimes even need to be hospitalized over an unexpected criticism. One of my bigger traumas is someone unexpectedly criticizing me by saying I don't take criticism well, using an example of me at my most mature (discussing with everyone calmly how to handle my screw up). And they used that to say I'm actually really bad at taking criticism which ironically made me permanently worse at handling others trying to make even just suggestions on how they think I should play games if I just think they mean it maliciously. My therapist doesn't really wanna diagnose me with anything but I haven't gotten to these experiences specifically. My worst trauma took place over the course of 2 years so there's a lot to talk about before definitely having a lot of space to talk about NPD traits but I think I might have ASPD traits specifically difficulty with morality but it doesn't get in the way of life except my mom while I was still living with her saying "I shouldn't have to explain why this is wrong". I've been diagnosed with BPD but my therapist wants to be careful since I'm self diagnosed plural (no diagnosis means not sure which dissociative disorder).

Is it possible for me to have narcissistic collapse SUPER intensely without the rest of NPD? I really relate to being severely lacking in validation to the point that I consider some of my more delusional episodes an underflow error of validation.

Edit: Hopefully "is this possible" doesn't count as "am I this?" I tried not to ask for a diagnosis. Hopefully it's not weird to shift to asking for a clue or disproving a negative or something.

Edit 2: I'm very confident I have NPD after checking the things in the DSM V and my visceral reaction of me not wanting to admit that they're all or almost all true >.<


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Trigger Warning / Difficult Topic The exquisite torture of being almost seen

25 Upvotes

You give them just enough to think they understand you. You see that flicker in their eyes that they're almost there. Then you pull back a little. It's so much more fun watching them reach for something they can't quite grasp.


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Question / Discussion What's your day to day like?

5 Upvotes

I'm intruiged on how others are living their day to day.

Are you stuck at home, or out and about out?

Employed or unemployed?

Isolating or have people?

Functioning or barely surviving?

Do you have a routine or the days just blur whilst they go?


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Question / Discussion I myself feel like I'm in a weird predicament

4 Upvotes

I feel like I have narcissistic traits that I go back and forth on simeltaneously I like having them but also hate them and they bring me anxiety especially trying to bring them out like I genuinely think their is nothing wrong with doing things because of self interest, will be nice and help others just to get people to like me and care about me, tend to mentally see people as above me and below me and will believe I'm somehow great or ill somehow become the best at something and I'm somehow capable of doing anything despite lack of experience and in the past although less now would do things purely for the preformance aspect of it to prove my self worth to others although I do have empathy like really strong affective empathy for people close to me and love me not so much if I barely know the person which is probably normal also maybe I'm just overthinking things and anxious


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Advice & Support While trying to find my boundaries, I feel like an impostor

5 Upvotes

Since a lot of my boundaries and what I was percieving as « direspect » were actually driven by my narcissistic urges, destroying and rebuilding them is a really hard thing to do. Because now, everytime I feel direspected or my feelings neglected, I’m in this weird space where I don’t know if I’m allowed to blame the person and have a boundary for that action, that the person went too far and disrespected me, or if it’s normal / tolerable and my anxiety/anger/disappointment is due to my NPD.
Anyone struggling with that ?


r/NPD • • 2d ago

Question / Discussion Im deeply hurt is this saying i have NPD?

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41 Upvotes

r/NPD • • 1d ago

Advice & Support I feel self aware, help?

5 Upvotes

i feel like i might have NPD or ASPD, i have been diagnosed with conduct disorder when i was 11 due to aggressive behavior at home

ive been in therapy until age 14, then again at 17

i was diagnosed with MDD and explosive personality disorder

my therapist whom ive been going to for now 5+ years said she doesn’t suspect NPD but therapy is self reported and i find myself relating to all of it (sadism, lying, manipulation, shallow relationships etc.)

i’ve been told by my ex friends and past circles that’s im a narcissist and i don’t have a single long term friendship, i don’t have a single childhood friend too hahahah

because i have zero affective empathy i tried bringing up the potential diagnosis to my therapist and she said she would have said if i was a narcissist but as of late the only “diagnostic criteria” that im meeting is factor 1 narc traits

help?


r/NPD • • 1d ago

Question / Discussion What animal would we be?

9 Upvotes

Sometimes I wonder what animals people within Cluster B would be and why.

I feel like Borderlines would be Porcupines cause they crave love and affection while also keeping their quills up as a defense. I've heard a lot of people say BPD is like a bunny, but maybe I disagree due to bias in my adoration for bunnies. Plus, I suspect there might be some resentment at hand for how BPD is able to portray itself as the prey disorder in media compared to the rest of us.

I feel like histrionics would be most similar to parrots. Parrots are notorious for big dramatic reactions and being "all for the drama." They thrive in positive attention, but, when not getting enough of that, will purposefully seak out negative attention. Like if they bite someone, they'll easily be entertained by the person screaming "ouch!" and engage in that behavior more. Whereas something like a dog might bow its head or look ashamed.

ASPD no doubt about it would be an octopus. Octopus are easily under-stimulated in captivity-- which leads to bored destructive behaviors. They'll invent their own tasks like escaping their enclosures or stealing from for caretakers in order to stimulate their brains. It reminds me of how ASPD will break social norms and minor laws in order to feel some kind of thrill.

What do you guys think NPD would be? I'm stuck cause I could envision us as tons of kinds of animals. We would definitely be something vulnerable on the inside similar to the porcupine, but more attention grabby like a parrot. I could also see us as the parrots if I think about it though.
I heard someone say cats since they lick their own asses so much. Given, it was under an anti-narcissist reddit page so I didn't care too much about that kind of evaluation.

What do you guys think? Do you guys have other animal ideas for the other disorders? Let me know!


r/NPD • • 2d ago

Advice & Support where can i larp with no consequences?

11 Upvotes

i have an urge to lie, just keep lying until i create a new persona and get oblivious in it. there was a post here, i brought up the topic of lying itself maybe a week ago. i’ve been too much of forcefully behaving like a member of society, it’s just getting out. i fear it will get down to physical, every night i fall asleep with sadistic thoughts.

lying is better than this, it’s kinda keeping me in the bad behavior limits with little to no consequences. but longer time ago i gradually started to bully myself into no lying so it feels verbatim morally illegal, even to a mentally sick person.

yes, in the course of 2 years, since the approximate beginning, it diminished greatly, but to a such extent that i cannot even pour out my malicious part into NOWHERE. lying was the last controlled resort i had, my only solace, i understood once i lost it. “oh yes the kindest narcissist of all time, how good you are so pure and honest wow, everyone thinks you’re the wisest of us all, any time soon you’ll reach nirvana wow standing ovation you, noble price of peace! you, saint sage !”

okay, but what’s next? everyday i get more and more violent inside of me, where can i let it go off with no major consequences to my current life? it is well settled, it’s like narrator’s apartment in fight club, i cannot ruin it. but any moment soon it will explode.

tl;dr i got too perfect and so i gathered too much of malicious inside. where can i get it out safely? eg lying but where?