Narcissism and depression can occur together due to the narcissistic personality’s inability to develop true self-worth and intimacy with others. Narcissism is believed to stem from neglect or abuse in early childhood, leading to a facade of high self-esteem covering deep feelings of low self-worth. The narcissist seeks constant praise and flattery, and may struggle to empathize with others. As they age and lose authority figures, they may become increasingly difficult to deal with and socially isolated, leading to depression.
It is believed that narcissism and depression sometimes occur together, possibly because the narcissistic personality is incapable of developing true feelings of self-worth or intimacy with others. Some experts believe that narcissism can easily occur at the same time as bipolar disorder, a type of depression. People with narcissism generally rely heavily on the care and attention of others for their feelings of self-worth, such that when that attention is withdrawn, they may lapse into depression.
The causes of narcissism are believed to stem from neglect or abuse in infancy or very early childhood, so narcissism and depression may occur together due to the irreparable damage these early experiences may have had on the self-esteem of the narcissistic person. Some believe that the narcissist’s extreme sense of self-involvement makes it difficult for him not only to empathize with another’s needs, but also to fully perceive the existence of other individuals.
The typical narcissist believes that their opinions and beliefs are always correct and that they are generally perfect in almost every way. Most psychologists believe, however, that the narcissist’s extremely high self-esteem is just a facade that covers up deeply ingrained feelings of low self-worth and low self-esteem. It is therefore generally believed that the narcissist seeks to surround himself with people who praise and flatter him, agree with all of his opinions and beliefs, and attend to all of his needs, even excluding their own. The average narcissist, however, is usually incapable of realizing that other people have valid feelings, needs, opinions and beliefs, which can make the narcissist a very difficult person for others to date, especially in an emotionally intimate way.
Most psychologists believe that it is only a matter of time before the narcissist’s friends, relatives and romantic partners assert their needs. To do so, these individuals typically must reject the narcissist’s delusions of personal grandeur. Without the constant and unrelenting confirmation and support of those close to them, the narcissist is usually left without the inner resources to sustain their sense of self-worth and well-being. Narcissism and depression therefore could occur together because the narcissist can often find himself alone, without the strong social support he typically needs to continue to feel superior to others.
The typical narcissist may not understand that they are not somehow superior to those around them. It is believed that the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder get worse as the narcissist ages. The younger narcissist typically only respects those he sees as authority figures, such as parents or mentors, and only these are deemed capable of keeping his often contrary personality in check. Psychologists believe that, by the time the typical narcissist reaches middle age and beyond, these authority figures usually die, leaving the narcissist able to think as well of himself as he wants and treat others as badly as he wants. As the aging narcissist becomes increasingly difficult to deal with, he may find himself increasingly socially isolated, so that narcissism and depression are more likely to occur together as the individual reaches old age.
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