5 Things You Got Wrong About Narcissistic Personality Disorder

May 20, 2016 / Christine Deneweth

Myths about narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are super common – and they’re causing a lot of harm.

Maybe you believe some of these myths, like thinking people with NPD are just vain and full of themselves.

So it’s time for a reality check on what NPD really is, and why using the disorder to refer to vanity is harmful. Here’s the truth behind several common myths – and why we need to stop the stigma for this just as much as for other mental disorders.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

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Click for the Transcript

Panel 1

Text: 5 Thing You Got Wrong About Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Panel 2

Micky talking and smiling. She has long dark blue hair and a pink shirt.

Micky: Hi, my name is Micky and I have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Panel 3

Micky talking with her hands on her hips.

Micky: If you think narcissists are just vain and conceited, we have a lot to unpack. Let’s learn about what NPD is and the stigma about it.

Panel 4

Image of medal.

Text: What is NPD?

Text: NPD is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of importance.

Panel 5

Text: What are the symptoms?

Text: Need for a lot of admiration. May disregard others’ feelings. Have a hard time with criticism. Strong sense of entitlement.

Panel 6

Micky talking.

Micky: I’ll bet you’re already thinking of all the people who “have these symptoms” but let me get into why throwing around the word narcissist is problematic.

Panel 7

Image of pool of water and skull.

Text: First of all, the origins of the association of between narcissism and conceited.

Text: The ancient Greeks had a story about a boy named Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection and died staring at himself.

Panel 8

Guy staring angrily at a girl taking a selfie.

Text: And the stigma lives on because people have this negative association embedded in them and label behavior they see as unfavorable as narcissistic.

Panel 9

Micky talking looking upset.

Micky: But when you throw narcissist around you are trivializing the pain of people with a real mental disorder. You are using other people’s suffering as a way to insult someone.

Panel 10

Micky frowning.

Text: Remember narcissists have a real mental disorder. A lot of them have high standards they set for themselves and often suffer from depression over not being able to meet those standards and criticism.

Panel 11

Micky talking to a therapist.

Micky: Talk therapy is a popular form of treatment for NPD. The symptoms can be manageable with help!

Panel 12

Micky talking and smiling.

Micky: Now that we have some understanding of NPD, let’s debunk some myths.

Panel 13

Image of mirror.

Text: 1. Narcissists are in love with themselves.

Panel 14

Micky smiling in front of herself frowning

Text: Not true, a lot of narcissists struggle with low self esteem and use false confidence as a way to hide vulnerability.

Panel 15

Micky talking.

Text: Sometimes it’s a real struggle for narcissists to love themselves, even if we appear to.

Panel 16

Image of heat breaking

Text: 2. People with NPD have no empathy.

Panel 17

Micky looking away and holding a heart.

Text: Well, to be honest it depends on the person with NPD. But if a person with NPD doesn’t show empathy, they have reasons.

Panel 18

Heart with a bandaid on it.

Text: People with NPD are often victims of abuse. Others are just selective with who they share their empathy with. And some are very empathetic indeed. Either way, this stereotype is harmful and minimizes the experience of the person with NPD.

Panel 19

Image of question mark.

Micky: 3. People with NPD aren’t aware of their disorder.

Panel 20

Image of tea kettle.

Text: Not true, most people with NPD are very aware. We have ups and downs in our self esteem

Panel 21

Micky talking.

Micky: It’s not easy to ignore varying states of mood and sense of self.

Panel 22

Image of a fist.

Text: People with NPD are abusive.

Panel 23

Micky talking looking upset and holding up her hand.

Micky: All I see on the internet is “how to leave your abusive narcissistic partner” or “how to spot/avoid a narcissist.” Where are all the articles that offer help for NPD survivors?

Panel 24

Micky talking and smiling.

Micky: If you are a victim of abuse from someone with NPD, seek help. I’m not here to belittle your struggle. But remember not all people with NPD are abusive! Most are abuse survivors too!

Panel 25

Image of an X.

Text: People with NPD are just bad.

Panel 26

Micky yelling angrily.

Micky: That’s just wrong and ableist.

Panel 27

Micky talking.

Micky: We’re people who are struggling. Please be kind.

Panel 28

Micky talking.

Micky: Just because our symptoms are different doesn’t mean we don’t deserve the same respect any other mental disorder deserves.

Panel 29

Micky talking and smiling.

Micky: We are struggling and our experience is valid.

Panel 30

Micky talking and smiling.

Micky: We’re still people that deserve to be treated as such.

To learn more about this topic, check out:

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Christine Deneweth is a Contributing Comic Artist for Everyday Feminism. A queer cartoonist and artist, Christine lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She is a cartoonist for Eastern Michigan University’s newspaper the Eastern Echo. She writes children’s books about mental disability and has a comic strip that has been published for five years. Comics can be found on her Facebook page, and art can be found on her Instagram @crassaster. Check out her work here!