Narcissism Vs. Bipolar

Narcissistic personality disorder
#22

Spiralupwars

Correct me if im wrong, I’ve also believed that you have choices in life you can either get up or stay there stuck in you past,the difficulty i am trying to come to terms with is that my husband believes that he didnt ask to be the way he is.He was raised in a abusive home but now his mom is the dominating one.His family has a funny way of manepulating a situation and making you believe that everything is fine but as soon as you walk out of the door the most horrific things are being said about you/me then they let that to be known to you to play on your guilt.He lived in that house for 30yrs of his life,& now his telling me that he will never change ,I must accept him to do those things to me while im treating him good.I just dont understand that can their emotions be controlled?

#23

this is interesting
I work with lots of ADHD teens as well

and when I look back on my N/S he didnt exhibit any of the typical Bipolar or ADHD signs (??) but then he’s just one guy among many.

in what ways are they similar/mistaken?

#24

ill be honest here…one of mine said as he was leaving’ill be the same with anyone else"as if that was supposed to make me feel better?
and one was desperately trying to change granted…but the defences were too strong.
perhaps these people are afraid of change…i dont know…but i have sen"sparks"of hope at times especially with my last one…who appeared to be fighting woth himself more than anything…i suppose accepting them the way that they are is best…and anything else is a bonus?

#25

My experience with working with children with Bi-polar disorder and living with a pathological narcissist for over 20 years, I find the disorders very different to say the least. Yes, they both can rage and they both can be self centered, but there is a difference between the two which gives it both its own unique name.

#26

I work with teens who are bi-polar as well as those who seem N and S and a whole host of other disabilities and diagnoses.

I agree with Mariel Lee, its been quite easy to see there’s a difference.

Plus, there also seems a big difference between your run-o-the-mill adolescent narcissistic traits and N’s.

#27

I get that there is an important quality to the questioning, but I’m asking, what is it?

Is it that if you can get a different DX, one thats chemically treatable like ADHD or Bipolar it would affect your hope? would it change your choices?

i know it doesnt make any difference to me, but I’m curious to hear about your takes?

#28

Bipolar and NPD get confused and misdiagnosed all the time, its not always clear cut. Two people on Careplace just found out they were dealing with Bipolar type issues and not NPD. People have been known to get diagnosed with both, or its been known to take years to get a proper diagnosis.

#29

Telling the difference between a person having a manic episode and a schizophrenic episode would be very difficult if your not in daily contact with the person or don’t have access to previous medical history?

#30

Or better yet a schizotypal personality…

#31

“agreed WYouth, but arent we talking about sustained daily contact, spouse with spouse, parent with child, or teacher with student?”

What if you’re dealing with manic phases that last months or years, as opposed to a few days? Are we talking Bipolar I or II here?

#32

If I wasnt sure I’d check the student’s records. If there wasnt any official diagnosis I’d petition the In School Team to request one but either way my choices and reactions as the person charged with managing the classroom for everyone remains the same.

I cant change a persons personality, disability or brain chemistry. All I can do is pay close attention and act accordingly.

In my personal life, before I knew what I was dealing with, I thought I COULD influence my ex’s behaviour and choices in all the ways a normal partner does, by identifying issues, sharing feelings and making clear requests. A lack of empathy screwed that right up. I try to encourage and support a students empathic abilities, and its so far (knock on wood) pretty easy to tell when someone wont because theyre acting out, wont because their heads racing 100 miles an hour, wont because theyre severely depressed, or wont because “it just aint there”.

#33

just aint there…so true…i worked with ADHD teens…and it was near on impossible to get their attention…they could tune in and out like radios.lol.and strangely they were grandios,selfish,lacking empathy etc,when they were’tuned out"their rages are very similar/same as n rages…and when they had’gone off on one"it was nearon impossible to calm them down…although when’tuned in’they did seem to have empathy.
their hyperactivity also reminded me of N ups…my ex was convinced that he was bi-polar,hyperactive…but also swang the other way too…is this all down to a particular brain chem?upbringing?

#34

hmm my experiences were different but then I suppose like snowflakes no 2 ADHD teens are alike

I wonder if a more helpful question might be

what difference would there be in our choices and actions if our children, siblings, parents, ex’s, spouses were something other than N?

In my case, my ex is more likely a S, but in my estimation since I didnt have any idea what I was dealing with, and in the huge bias of being in love I made the choices I made, experienced the fallout I did, and I cant see me having stayed in the relationship being as abusive as it was if he was Bipolar, ADHD or Borderline given he didnt think there was anything wrong with him (??).

And I’m not sure that whatever label or armchair diagnosis I give him would make any difference to him now that we’re broken up. He’s continuing doing what he does, and thats not my responsibility or business. The only thing I can deal with or influence is where MY head/heart is at. If I make a mistake in that Dx, what difference would it make? to him - none at all…to me - not a whole bunch,. I still got abused no matter what his real problem was.

#35

it doesnt matter what the disorder is…you are right…but any abuser doesnt have the right,and no disorder validates what they do…the only people that they had a right to abuse was themselves…

#36

as regards chemical treatment for NPD my father once went completely’normal’his NPD seemed to dissapear.(especially the irritability and rages)
when i asked my mother what she had put him on…she said that he was taking a herbal medication…this medication contained valerian…which apparently works on the GABA system in the brain.??..he stopped taking it amd reverted to type.
also i noticed that ssris seem to make NPD far worse…has anyone else noticed this?it turned my cerebral one into a somatic one!!?and all his other things worsened too.

#37

I pretty much did everything right the first time around and there’s not really anything I could have done different other being on some other forum and reading different books. I couldn’t have been more tolerant or understanding or loving than I was.

#38

we can only do our best…and if we know thats what we have done…its good enough.