Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

• has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements);
• is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love;
• believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions);
• requires excessive admiration;
• has a sense of entitlement, (e.g., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations);
• is interpersonally exploitive, (e.g., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends);
• lacks empathy, is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others;
• is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her;
• shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

Source: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
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