While alcoholism is an addiction and extreme narcissism is a personality disorder, narcissists and alcoholics tend to share 11 similarities. Knowing these can help you cope with people in your life who have narcissism or alcoholism. Healthcare professionals may ask people about their drinking habits to assess AUD. A psychiatrist may carry out a standard psychiatric interview, which healthcare professionals use to diagnose personality disorders. Healthcare professionals may also use the Narcissistic Personality Inventory to diagnose narcissism. Narcissistic personality disorder can be one of the more challenging mental health conditions to treat.
Alcohol use can exacerbate narcissistic behaviors, making the individual more manipulative, volatile, and emotionally unavailable. The constant need for validation, attention, and control can strain relationships to the breaking point, causing emotional distress and damage to the partner or loved ones. In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the factors contributing to narcissism, the impact on relationships, and the available treatment options for individuals with narcissistic personality disorder. It is also worth noting that alcoholism and narcissism can coexist with other mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety disorders. This further underscores the complexity of these conditions and the need for a comprehensive and individualized approach to understanding and addressing them. Codependent individuals may develop a strong sense of responsibility for the alcoholic narcissist’s well-being, feeling compelled to fix or rescue them from their destructive behaviors.
What Is A Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
While not all individuals struggling with alcohol addiction exhibit narcissistic traits, there is a notable overlap between the two conditions. One limitation of this study is the lack of diversity in the sample’s age (18–25) and race (88% Caucasian). Some research has found racial differences in regards to college drinking. Little is known about narcissism and drinking in college students, a population that is at high risk for alcohol-related problems.
They will fabricate stories of victimization or exaggerate minor issues to gain validation and emotional support while using their drunken state to excuse their behavior. Narcissists think they’re better than everyone else and even that they’re unaffected by the effects of alcohol abuse due to their inherent superiority. Narcissists base their self-worth on the praise and attention of others, and when they fail to secure it experience depressive symptoms covert narcissism and alcoholism like shame and isolation, which they seek to drown in alcohol. A dry drunk has stopped drinking but hasn’t yet dealt with the issues that caused their alcohol dependence. They have yet to confront the shame, guilt, or past trauma that drew them to alcohol in the first place, so are at risk of relapsing. Grandiose narcissists have an inflated sense of self, an unshakeable belief in their own superiority, and a lack of empathy for those around them.
Signs Of Alcoholism
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. While alcoholism and narcissism are separate conditions, there can be some overlap between the two. It is possible for individuals with narcissistic traits or narcissistic personality disorder to develop alcohol use disorder, commonly known as alcoholism.
- The experience of having nothing to do, and no one to impress, fills them with dread because it brings with it a risk of self-reflection.
- Whatever the case may be, people need effective alcoholism treatment A strong treatment program will address both the problematic drinking and any other psychological issues, including narcissistic tendencies.
- This can hinder their motivation to seek help and change their behavior.
Genetics also seem to play a role in the development of both conditions. In both NPD and AUD, childhood trauma — including abuse and neglect — may be a risk factor. Further research into the causes of AUD might help experts develop more treatment options. It seems that many people who have NPD might also have AUD, but it’s not clear why. It’s worth noting that the DSM-5-TR doesn’t use the term “alcoholism,” but the term is still used colloquially to refer to AUD. In order to get a diagnosis of AUD, you have to fit certain diagnostic criteria as set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR).
Similarities Between Alcoholism and Narcissism
The outlook of co-occurring NPD and AUD may depend on the severity of each condition and how each individual is functioning. By building support from family and friends, you are more likely to stay on course with your dual treatment plan and avoid the stress that can make AUD and NPD worse. By educating yourself, you can also educate them about what AUD and NPD are about. You can take them with you to your next appointment to talk with your healthcare provider. Similarly, using alcohol doesn’t mean a person with NPD has AUD, even if there have been incidents of extreme intoxication.
Substance abuse disorders like AUD are characterized by mental and physical addiction. They may be manipulative, abusive, and toxic with or without alcohol consumption. In a similar manner, alcoholics might blame situations, people, and circumstances that made them drink in the first place. Narcissists are difficult people, who are ruinous and catastopic wherever they go. They lose or destroy relationships with friends, family, or loved ones by betraying, lying, and cheating on them.