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If alcohol misuse begins to impact your life, health, or safety, you might have AUD. Many people use the terms “alcohol use disorder” and “alcohol misuse” interchangeably, but they refer to two different things. In fact, some research suggests that alcohol misuse might be more common among people who have narcissistic narcissism and alcoholism tendencies. You can find support by speaking with your healthcare provider about what you’re noticing or what others have told you. For example, maybe you’re considering seeing a healthcare provider because your spouse says you’re a narcissist who drinks too much and they won’t stop asking you to get help.
Therapy, a strong support system, and self-care strategies can help you make a full recovery. You experienced withdrawal symptoms when alcohol wore off, such as insomnia, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart, or a seizure. These overlapping traits can make it hard to distinguish alcohol misuse from narcissism. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.
Six Narcissistic Traits of Alcoholics
Recognize that you don’t cause someone else’s narcissism or addiction. If you or a loved one is suffering from alcoholism or NPD, we are here. We understand what you’re going through and we can help you or a loved one survive addiction and find happiness in your life again. The exact symptoms of withdrawal can vary from nausea to seizures. We’ll look at why it’s so important to work with your doctor when stopping Xanax. Read more about living with a person who has AUD and managing a relationship with someone who has NPD.
For example, different prevention and treatment methods can be developed for individuals high in either grandiose or vulnerable narcissism. Treatment programs for vulnerable narcissists might focus on negative expectations while grandiose narcissists might need to focus more on recognition of problems. Future research should evaluate potential mechanisms driving these associations, such as mediators that might explain associations or moderators that might strengthen relationships found in this study. For example, perhaps types of drinking motives (e.g., conformity or coping) differentially mediate the relationship between narcissism subtypes and alcohol outcomes. Moderators such as positive or negative affect or reward sensitivity might affect the strength of the associations found in this study. In addition, future research could include more ethnically diverse samples to determine if the associations found here differ for students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism: Associations with Alcohol Use, Alcohol Problems and Problem Recognition
Narcissists almost never apologize or promise to change their ways. That would feel like weakness, which is anathema to narcissists, sullying the image they desperately seek to cultivate. Doing so would risk encountering the deep shame and emptiness they carry.
Understanding how these two separate disorders are similar may offer some insight into the type of addiction treatment that would be most beneficial. Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition describing an inflated sense of grandiosity and self-importance, as well as a lack of empathy. Both narcissists and alcoholics tend to view others as either enablers or as potential threats (who interfere with their campaign of self-aggrandizement or their freedom to drink). Here’s why antisocial personality disorder, also known as sociopathy, may lead to hazardous behaviors, but why this isn’t always the case. This medically-reviewed quiz can help you work out if you have symptoms of schizoid personality disorder.
Overlapping signs and symptoms
The first thing we should do is define what an alcoholic is and what a narcissist is. An alcoholic can be defined as someone who has an addiction to alcohol, while a narcissist can be defined as someone who has an inflated sense of their own importance. Support from loved ones can help people with NPD or AUD change their behavior and work toward recovery. Although NPD can’t be cured, someone with NPD can change their behavior if they’re willing to put in the time and effort, according to research from 2018. Talk therapy can be a helpful treatment for both NPD and AUD.
- Narcissistic personality disorder is just one of several personality disorders that can be dual diagnosed with alcoholism.
- Phillips J, Heesacker M. College student admission of alcoholism and intention to change alcohol-related behavior.
- The longer the feelings are unaddressed, the more daunting it can become to look inward and face them.
- Self-absorption is a fixation on one’s self-image—on your needs, your wants, your feelings, and your problems—at the expense of others.
Diagnosis of a personality disorder requires a mental health professional. Most diagnoses are made when the individual is 18 or older because those who are under 18 they are still developing their personalities. Both NPD and AUD can be diagnosed by healthcare professionals. If you think you have either or both conditions, it’s best to talk with a mental health professional for a diagnosis. According to a 2018 article, due to the common co-occurrence of personality disorders and AUD, it is important that substance misuse services screen for personality disorders and vice versa.
Dual diagnosis
Narcissists gratify themselves despite the costs to those around them. Alcoholics not in recovery continue drinking even when it hurts loved ones. Recovery starts with a single step and continues for a lifetime. You don’t have to try to cope with life and addiction all on your own. Reach out to us now, no matter the time of day or night, even if you’re not sure what you want to do yet and just need someone to listen. You do not need anyone’s permission to leave an unhealthy or toxic interaction.
