When we hear the word “narcissist” we immediately think of someone full of themselves, arrogant, someone who wants to be the center of attention and doesn’t care about the feelings of others. But, this common description of the term narcissist is only true about one group of narcissists.
Sadly, there is a group of narcissists who don’t fit into the description of classic narcissists. These people are called people with closet narcissistic personality disorder (CNPD) and are just as damaging as typical narcissists.
People diagnosed with closet narcissistic personality disorder are behaving like normal people. They appear to be warm and caring, but at their core are needy and very insecure which makes them slightly neurotic and craving attention and validation from others.
You may be living with a closet narcissist and not know it because they hide their disorder very well. You must look closely at them and spend a lot of time with them to be able to recognize the warning signs which are:
– Self-centeredness;
– Lack of self-esteem;
– Lack of compassion and empathy;
– Lack of object constancy and relations;
– Preoccupation with power and status;
– Fear of being seen as a failure;
– Envy of other people’s belongings, successes, and self-confidence;
– Easily triggered by trivial things that other people don’t notice.
Their main issue is their fear of the spotlight which distinguishes them from the classic narcissist because the classic narcissist adores the spotlight. People diagnosed with CNPD fear being exposed to the public eye simply because they don’t want other people to recognize their narcissistic characteristic and their desire for attention. They don’t want to be seen for who they are.
These people with CNPD are also dangerous like the typical narcissists and you should avoid them if you want to protect your emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.
