1

CHILDRENS’ MENTAL HEALTH

INFLUENCED
BY PARENTS
HAVING NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY

PRESENTED BY SAGARIKA BEHERA

 DECLARATION 2

I hereby declare that this Microsoft Power point presentation was carried out by me for the degree of
M.A in clinical psychology under the guidance and supervision of Mrs. Padmaja Das ,lecturer in Clinical
psychology, Udayanath Autonomous college of Science & Technology, Adaspur, Cuttack.

Sagarika Behera
Roll no-
PGUNPSY20020
PG2nd year
Place-Adaspur
 3
ACKNOWLDGEMENT

I, Sagarika Behera,Semester-3 would like to thank Dr. Lulumina Dash(Head of Clinical

psychology Department, Udayanath Autonomous college) and Mrs. Padmaja Das(Lecturer in
Clinical psychology) for giving me this opportunity to present a topic regarding impact of
Narcissistic parents on their child’s mental health. I would like to thank my guide Mrs.
Padmaja Das for her support and guidance.
 4
Content page

 Definition of personality and when it becomes a disorder

 Narcissistic trait and levels of narcissism
 Symptoms of Narcissistic personality disorder
 Characteristics of Narcissistic parents
 Effect of this trait on their children
 Strategies to deal with Narcissism trait
 Summary and conclusion
 References
 5
What is personality and when it becomes a disorder

 personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that evolve from
biological and environmental factors.
 Personality consists of certain traits
 Traits are stable and consistent characteristics that make an individual unique from others
 When one of those traits become highly exaggerated and that deviates the social norms as a result of which
social and occupational life is hampered, it can be said that the person has a personality disorder
 According to the above points, Narcissism is a trait of personality and when this traits become excessive
that affect the functioning of life of an individual it becomes a disorder
 6
Narcissism Trait

 Narcissism is a self centered personality style characterized as having an excessive

interest in one’s own needs, often at the expense of others.
 It is not necessarily good or bad
 There is a significance difference between healthy narcissism and being self-absorbed
and difficult and having a pathological mental illnesses like Narcissistic personality dis
order.
 7
Levels Of Narcissism

Healthy levels of Destructive Levels of Pathological

Narcissism narcissism Levels of
Narcissism
 8
Healthy levels of narcissism

 Narcissism  is an essential component of mature Self-esteem and basic self-worth.

In essence, narcissistic behavior are a system of intrapersonal and interpersonal
strategies devoted to protecting one's self-esteem.
 It has been suggested that healthy narcissism is correlated with good
psychological health. Self-esteem works as a mediator between narcissism and
psychological health.
 Therefore, because of their elevated self-esteem, deriving from self-perceptions of
competence and likability, high narcissists are relatively free of worry and gloom.
 9
Destructive levels of narcissism

 Narcissism, in and of itself, is a normal personality trait, however, high levels of narcissistic behavior can be
damaging and self-defeating.
  Destructive narcissism is the constant exhibition of a few of the intense characteristics usually associated with
pathological Narcissistic personality disorder such as a "pervasive pattern of grandiosity", which is
characterized by feelings of entitlement and superiority, arrogant or haughty behaviors, and a generalized lack
of empathy and concern for others.
 On a spectrum, destructive narcissism is more extreme than healthy narcissism but not as extreme as the
pathological condition
 10
Pathological levels of narcissism

 Extremely high levels of narcissistic behavior are considered pathological. The pathological

condition of narcissism is, as Freud suggested, a magnified, extreme manifestation of healthy
narcissism.
 Freud's idea of narcissism described a pathology which manifests itself in the inability to
love others, a lack of empathy, emptiness, boredom, and an unremitting need to search for
power, while making the person unavailable to others.
 The clinical theorists Kernberg Kohutand Theodore Millon all saw pathological narcissism as
a possible outcome in response to unempathic and inconsistent early childhood interactions.
They suggested that narcissists try to compensate in adult relationships. [2
 German psychoanalyst Karen Horney (1885–1952) also saw the narcissistic personality as a
temperament trait molded by a certain kind of early environment.
 11
Symptoms of Narcissistic personality Disorder

Inflated or exaggerated sense of self-importance

Constant thoughts about being better (more successful, powerful, smart, loved, or attractive) than others
Feelings of superiority and entitlement
Desire to only associate with people of perceived high-status
Need for excessive admiration and validation
Manipulative of others to meet their own goals
Lack of empathy
Arrogant or snobby behaviors and attitudes
Difficulty or inability to apologize or recognize when they're wrong
Pattern of selfishness and lack of awareness about selfish behaviors
Blaming others and difficulty holding others accountable
Frequent excuses and inability to take responsibility
 12
Characteristics of Narcissistic Parents

 Focusing all the family's time and attention on themselves

 Not showing concern or compassion for their children or other family members
 Blaming others when things don’t go according to plan (i.e., it's always someone else's
fault if they're late, forgetful, grumpy, etc.)
 Not taking ownership of situations or acknowledging wrongs
 Codependent or controlling and abusive relationships 
 Rule by domination, fear, manipulation
 Tease, mock, bully, or gaslight (e.g., they publicly embarrass or shame you)
 Love feels based on how you behave or respond (conditional)
 13
How Narcissistic Parents Affect Childrens’Mental Health

 The child won’t feel heard or seen.

 The child’s feelings and reality will not be acknowledged.
 The child will be treated like an accessory to the parent, rather than a person.
 The child will be more valued for what they do (usually for the parent)
than for who they are as a person.
 The child will not learn to Identify or trust their own feelings and
will grow up with crippling self-doubt.
 14

 The child will be taught that how they look is

more important than how they feel.
 The child will be fearful of being real, and will instead be taught
that image is more important than authenticity.
 The child will be taught to keep secrets to protect the parent and the family.
 The child will not be encouraged to develop their own sense of self.
 The child will feel emotionally empty and not nurtured.
 15

 The child will learn not to trust others.

 The child will feel used and manipulated.
 The child will be there for the parent, rather than
the other way around, as it should be.
 The child’s emotional development will be stunted.
 The child will feel criticized and judged, rather than accepted and loved.
 16

 The child will grow frustrated trying to seek love, approval, and attention to no
avail.
 The child will grow up feeling “not good enough.”
 The child will not have a role model for healthy emotional connections.
 The child will not learn appropriate boundaries for relationships.
 The child will not learn healthy self-care, but instead will be at risk of
becoming co-dependent (taking care of others to the exclusion of taking care of
self).
 17

 The child will have difficulty with the necessary individuation from
the parent as he or she grows older.
 The child will be taught to seek external validation versus internal validation.
 The child will get a mixed and crazy-making message of “do well to make me
proud as an extension of the parent, but don’t do too well and outshine me.”
 The child, if outshining the parent, may experience jealousy from the parent.
 The child is not taught to give credit to self when deserved
 18

 The child will ultimately suffer from some level of post-

traumatic stress disorder, depression, and/or anxiety in adulthood.
 The child will grow up believing he or she is unworthy and unlovable,
because if my parent can’t love me, who will?
 The child is often shamed and humiliated by a narcissistic parent and
will grow up with poor self-esteem.
 The child often will become either a high achiever or a self-saboteur, or both.
 The child will need trauma recovery and will have to re-parent themselves in
adulthood
 19
How Can Narcissistic Parents Help Themselves?

Start Seeing a Therapist

Appreciate Your Child’s Efforts

Practice Gratitude

Place Yourself In Your Child’s

Shoes

Have a Support System

Work On Yourself

Address Your Childhood Issues

and Trauma
 20
Start seeing a therapist

 Most often, the root cause of narcissistic parenting is tied to childhood trauma
and bad memories.
 Maybe it’s the way a person raised that caused you to hole up or lock yourself
inside your shell. Seeing a therapist is the first step to reconnecting with that
inner child and finding out what caused you to turn out to be that way. It’s not
easy, but it’s necessary.
Appreciate Your Child’s Efforts 21

 Start by being happy about your kid’s achievements and recognise

her accomplishments. Don’t just give her superficial compliments,
but be true to your words.
 If she aced a test, don’t just say “good job”. Go through the papers,
see what she did well, and praise that. Be specific with your
compliments and tell her how you noticed what she did. This will
make her feel truly appreciated instead of just receiving random
compliments and forgetting about them later on.
 22
Practice Gratitude

 There are many kids who grow up without parents. True, you’ve
not been the best parent, but you still exist.
 You can transform into the best version of yourself and give your
kids a bright future. Start realizing that and work your way towards
positive change by practicing gratitude.
 Write down 5 things you’re grateful for every day and what went
good in a journal. This little practice of self-care and compassion
will go a long way towards nipping narcissism in the bud.
 23
Place Yourself In Your Child’s Shoes

 Being able to show empathy and compassion are two cornerstones

of being a parent who is not too narcissistic.
 Imagine what a day is like in your child’s shoes and try to see
situations from her perspective. This will help you realize when
you are too hard on your child and help you work on becoming a
better parent.
 24
Have a Support System

 If you are a narcissist dad or narcissistic mom and want to change

– you have to realize that you cannot do this alone.
 If your partner is not narcissistic, observe him/her, and ask for tips.
You can join support groups and get insights from other parents
who are good at parenting.
 25
Work On Yourself

 Sometimes poor lifestyle choices and nutrition impacts you mentally. If you find this to be the
case, start by cleaning up your diet. A healthier diet and lifestyle will impact your mood and make
you feel better.
 You can see a dietician or a nutrition counsellor, who can help you make healthier food choices
if you feel you’re suffering from food addiction or disorders.
 Cut out smoking, alcohol, and any bad habits that impair your decision making, and the ability to
think clearly as a parent.
 When you work on becoming a better person yourself, your child will notice and respect you
naturally as a role model. It becomes a positive chain reaction instead of a downwards negative
spiral. And, you’ll thank yourself for this later. Don’t forget to work out or exercise, too, since it
gives a rush of endorphins and is good for you.
 26
Address Your Childhood Issues and Trauma

 Spend some time reflecting on what you went through as a child. Write down your fears and
moments of rejection.
 Try to notice these patterns in conversations whenever you interact with your children. If you
find any similarities, don’t react to them.
 Analyze, make a note of it and let it go. Do your best to make sure it doesn’t repeat. These tiny
changes will build over time, and you’ll be a better parent soon enough.
 Relationships never come easy. Sometimes adults never realize they require counselling or
therapy until someone points it out.
 Children of narcissistic parents sometimes have trouble holding jobs, and the dysfunctional
environment makes integrating back into a healthy reality a lot harder. But, there is hope – the
first step is distancing away from narcissistic thoughts and people. By having a loving and
emotionally healthy support system, the road to recovery becomes possible with time and
patience.
 27

 When it comes to narcissism, there is a spectrum of severity. While many people have narcissistic traits,
some people have personalities that are highly narcissistic. Others have full blown narcissistic personality
disorder.
 It’s well known that narcissistic exposure can damage an adult badly enough. But the traumatizing effects
of being raised by a narcissist leaves psychic scars which drive many into therapy later in life. These scars
can be thought of as common traits of children with narcissistic parents
 Every parent-child relationship involves some amount of occasional conflict, stress and confusion. This is
not exactly breaking news and has been the premise of many a pop culture offering. We expect it, accept it,
and, for the most part, manage it.
 However, there are instances where things go far past the normal family pitfalls. A particularly dangerous
example involves the presence of a highly narcissistic parent. In this case, family life and it’s inevitable
conflict looks nothing like a T.V. sitcom. And the harm done is not easily undone
 28
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

 Narcissism is a trait. The meaning of the term is Self-centeredness arising from failure of an external
object. When this trait becomes highly exaggerated that leads to Narcissistic personality disorder.
 Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by delusion of grandiosity and inflated sense of self
esteem.
 The Narcissism trait is developed from Authoritative and permissive Parenting style as these types of
parenting are characterized by “high in responsiveness” that exhibited more adaptive narcissistic
tendencies such as superiority and grandiosity.
 Narcissistic parents may suffer from various kinds of mental illnesses like Anxiety Disorders, PTSD,
Depression in the stage of adulthood.
 If a person has Narcissistic personality, She or he can help himself or herself by applying several
types of strategies which were discussed earlier.
 29
References

  Ogrodniczuk, John (2013). "Historical overview of pathological narcissism. In: Understanding and Treating
Pathological Narcissism". American Psychological Association: 15–26. doi:10.1037/14041-001.
 Jones, M.D., Ernest. "Essays In Applied Psychoanalysis Vol II". archive.org. Osmania University Library.
Retrieved 14 December 2021.
 https://en.Wikipedia.org
 Puggled,Michelle(2022):signs of Narcissistic parents and how to cope
https://www.verywellhealth.com
 Bride,M.C,Kary(2018):The real effect of Narcissism on children
https://www.psychologytoday.com
https://michaelgquirke.com/traits-of-children-with-narcissistic-parents