Find Effective Support For NPD at Catalina Behavioral Health
Our Narcissistic Personality Disorder Treatment Plan PDF provides you with tools to better understand the narcissistic traits common in NPD, a mental health condition. With a formal diagnosis and evidence-based treatment plan, people with NPD can gain better emotional awareness and build new coping skills.
The staff at Catalina Behavioral Health, our JCAHO-accredited mental health treatment center in Tucson, Arizona, knows how to treat Narcissistic Personality Disorder. We have helped clients learn to identify and understand pathological narcissism with the goal of increased self-regulation.
Our resource guide and PDF worksheets will help identify the symptoms of NPD and help self-reflect on how it has impacted well-being. These worksheets could be the first step in realizing it’s time to seek help. For immediate support and consultation, you can call Catalina confidentially at any time.
Our PDFs Help You Identify Traits and Gain Self-awareness
People with NPD often don’t realize how their thoughts, emotions, or reactions impact others. Our Narcissistic Personality Disorder PDF helps you reflect on both narcissistic traits and behaviors that show irregular emotional regulation.
The guide helps you understand how early life experiences may be impacting your daily life.
As you work, understand that the self-reflection worksheets are for your eyes alone; you don’t need to share them with others. However, they can be helpful for a therapist to review.
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Understanding Narcissistic Personality Disorder NPD
Narcissistic personality disorder is a complex mental health condition impacting how a person experiences their identity and emotions. It can also be difficult for people with NPD to connect with others and maintain relationships.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) defines Narcissistic personality disorder as a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, with a high need for admiration and low empathy for others. Some people seem overly confident or arrogant, but that facade masks deep insecurity and fragile self-esteem.
What are the 9 Traits and Behaviors of NPD Used in Diagnosis?
The nine criteria mental health professionals use in diagnosing Narcissistic personality disorder include the following patterns:
- Entitlement
- Lack of emptahy
- Excessive admiration seeking
- Exaggerating achievements
- Self-centeredness and selfish behaviors
- Difficulty accepting criticism
- Preoccupation with fantasies of success
- Grandiose sense of self-importance
- Underlying low self-esteem
Narcissistic behaviors often begin in early adulthood. The arrogance may continue to influence the person’s emotions and actions, decreasing the ability to achieve a stable daily life.
Diagnosing Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Diagnosis of NPD or other mental health conditions must only be done by a specially trained mental health professional. They will evaluate the person’s history, interpersonal relationship patterns, emotional regulation, values, and coping strategies.
The DSM-5 criteria help doctors distinguish between NPD and other mental illnesses, such as trauma-related conditions or bipolar disorder.
Distinguishing NPD From Antisocial Personality Disorder
NPD and antisocial personality disorders can share similarities, including a lack of emotional vulnerability and empathy. However, the motivations and internal experiences differ.
People with an NPD diagnosis lean into haughty behaviors or arrogance as a defense mechanism when someone challenges them. On the other hand, people with antisocial patterns intentionally disregard the feelings of others as they pursue personal gain.
Are Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder The Same Thing?
Some may mistake NPD with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which can resemble one another. In people with NPD, rejection and criticism damage the person’s sense of self-worth, angering or triggering their behaviors.
While in BPD, rejection creates an overwhelming fear of abandonment and can lead to the impulse to engage in self-harm.
Is There a Connection Between NPD and Anxiety Disorders?
People with NPD appear overly confident on the surface, but that hides feelings of deep insecurity or a fear of failure.
In severe NPD, people develop an excessive need for reassurance from others. It’s a type of anxiety hidden in self-centered behaviors.
The Role of Individual Therapy in Narcissistic Personality Disorder Treatment
Individual talk therapy sessions help clients gain insight into how their emotional defensiveness shapes their daily functioning. One-on-one sessions help clients learn to tolerate discomfort, understand triggers, and develop greater vulnerability without shutting down.
Therapy may explore developmental factors, including childhood trauma, early relationships, and parenting styles that may contribute to the narcissistic traits. Reflecting on how early experiences shape a child’s sense of self-worth can support greater healing and increase self-awareness.
When Group Therapy Can Help Improve NPD Symptoms
Group sessions can be very uncomfortable at first, but they’re very effective in treating NPD. Working with peers helps clients evaluate how others respond and react, helping them see the impact of their statements or behaviors.
Once they understand peer feedback, clients with NPD can practice moderating their tone or set more realistic expectations. Peers also practice essential skills like setting healthy boundaries or responding with empathy instead of a sense of entitlement.
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Structured Treatment Planning for Narcissistic Personality Disorders at Catalina Behavioral Health
Catalina’s treatment plans are holistic and evidence-based. Our clients will receive customized support as they explore their behaviors and set personal growth goals.
For many, goals include increasing tolerance for discomfort or overcoming poor reactions to feedback. These are tools that can help repair strained relationships with family members and peers.
Tools we use for NPD and other mental disorders include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), and psychoeducation. Because each client receives individualized planning, no two recovery plans look exactly alike.
Understanding Triggers and Interpersonal Sensitivities
Those with Narcissistic personality disorder often overreact when they feel slighted, misunderstood, or criticized. Their lack of emotion regulation and inflated sense of self-worth may cause them to escalate into conflict or behave dismissively toward others.
In therapy, clients learn to pause before they respond, which allows them to respond appropriately in those situations. With practice, that can become a habit that helps them stay more grounded.
Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders and Other Mental Health Conditions
Harvard Medical School research suggests that NPD often co-occurs with substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Co-occurring disorders require a comprehensive approach that treats both the NPD and the other condition simultaneously.
In some cases, short-term medications like mood stabilizers or antipsychotic medications are used to improve stability. Medications are never a stand-alone NPD treatment but support the client as they start building a therapeutic relationship with their provider.
Gregory Came to Catalina for Recovery from NPD and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Gregory arrived at Catalina Behavioral Health for help when he was 29 and facing multiple challenges. He had a series of broken romances and dramatic breakups, leaving him isolated, frustrated, and angry. Gregory’s failed relationships made him believe that people would always walk away from him.
He began to think that the world owed him respect and admiration for all that he was forced to put up with. He truly believed he was a misunderstood victim, even though his behaviors also contributed to his tumultuous romantic life.
Along with the symptoms of Narcissistic personality disorder, Gregory had been battling alcohol abuse for several years. Alcohol was his go-to friend and ally when others criticized him or didn’t show him enough respect. Unfortunately, the relief that alcohol brought was short-lived, leading him to drink even more.
Catalina Offers Support for the Factors That Exacerbate Narcissistic Personality Disorder
During his time at Catalina, Gregory explored how his emotional reactions – like feeling abandoned – actually came from a deep insecurity from childhood. In individual therapy, he discovered that his defensive behaviors did not come from selfishness but from his intense fear of disapproval.
He had worn a mask of self-importance and arrogance to cope with those feelings. Group therapy helped him see that his hurtful words could harm others, prompting him to learn to think before he acts or speaks.
Gregory also stopped drinking alcohol during his time at Catalina. He eventually saw how harmful a coping strategy drinking was and learned new coping tools. He’d played guitar as a teen, and in music therapy found that playing again was a new, healthier escape mechanism than alcohol.
After therapy, Gregory continues to work on making new connections. He now understands that his partners will not cater to him, but that he, too, must bring his authentic self to the table.
Building Insight and Reducing Defensiveness for Healthier Relationships
Individual and family therapy helps clients with NPD reduce emotional fragility so they can form healthier relationships and stronger connections with others. As people with NPD gain self-awareness, they become more open to mastering new coping tools and improving flexibility in their communications with others.
Working through insecurity or fear helps reshape actions instead of just suppressing them. This helps clients become less reactive and more curious about their inner selves, improving their long-term chances in recovery.
How Does Narcissistic Personality Disorder Treatment Improve Daily Functioning and Mental Health?
In therapy, clients start to notice improvements in their sense of identity. They feel more grounded and less dependent on comparison or competition.
They also start to rely less on praise from others, allowing the entitlement and need for attention to decrease. Eventually, this leads to better communication skills – a key factor in forming future relationships.
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Get Compassionate Treatment for NPD at Catalina Today
If you or a loved one has narcissistic personality traits, and you think they need help, it’s time to seek treatment. Getting a professional assessment for NPD or other personality disorders is a first step to restoring healthy connections and enjoying life to the fullest.
Catalina accepts self-pay clients and also takes most insurance plans. We’ll provide you with a complimentary insurance review to ensure you have few (if any) out-of-pocket expenses. Call our admissions representatives at any time; we are glad to provide you with free, confidential information on our treatment plans, so please don’t hesitate to reach out now.
