Mental Disorders

[selfaware]

I've known for a while that my personality was a bit abnormal and after reading the symptoms of NPD I was amazed to learn that I am likely a narcissist.

I pursue careers that place me in a position of power and authority i.e. law enforcement.

I make up or put a spin on stories that make me look heroic and selfless.

I resent it when people disagree with me.

I'm very manipulative.

I only surround myself with people I can control and avoid those who I can't. If there's someone in authority over me i.e. a boss that I can't control, then I start to investigate them so I can find weakness or dirt that I can use to gain leverage and control over them so that they can't exert their authority over me.

One area where I don't fit the narcissist profile is that I do care about others, I have compassion and helping people in need makes me feel good.

However, I tend to come down very hard on people that challenge my authority.

Anyone else here have any insight into this ?

[bipolarII]

You are not a narcissist. The traits that you mention are simply personality traits. A narcissist is incapable of caring about anyone but him/her self. They do not feel empathy, compassion, or any feelings that other people have.

If you were a narcissist, you wouldn't have the awareness or insight to know that you were one.

Trust me on this. I was married to one for 24 years. His therapist told me he'd never get better, and that narcissists don't want to get better because they don't perceive anything wrong with their feelings or behavior. Our divorce was final this month. I can't tell you how happy I am to get away from him.

If you are still worried, check out some books, like [i]In Love with a narcissist. After reading that, you'll see that while your personality traits may be similar, that's only on the surface. You'll find out what a real narcissist is.
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