Severe rage is a way in which a narcissistic individual vents out his frustration against people who have hurt his ego. A narcissistic person suffers from an extreme sense of self and finds it difficult to receive real or perceived criticism. If you are living with a narcissistic individual, it is important for you to know about the depth of his rage.
Did you know?
The term ‘Narcissistic Rage’ was introduced by Heinz Kohut in his book, ‘The Analysis of the Self’ in 1972.
A person who gives too much importance to himself, to the extent that he does not think about the feelings of other people, is said to be a narcissist. People who are narcissists consider themselves to be perfectionists. They are governed by their false ego which requires admiration and praise to survive.
It is said that narcissists live in a world of their own where they can only think about their problems and issues regarding power, prestige and personal adequacy. This makes them selfish individuals who do not have the ability to understand the problems of people around them. Such people are believed to suffer from the problem of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NAD). As their egos are very fragile, a slight disrespect or challenge can lead to the development of fury in them.
Overview
It is believed that narcissism is an attitude which is present in every individual. Self-love is actually important to be a confident individual. However, when this feeling of self-worth exceeds certain limits, where one cannot recognize anyone’s feelings except his own, then that person is believed to be a narcissist.
Anger is a natural reaction that comes to humans when exposed to provocative situations. However, such anger arises from a rational cause and dies down when one is able to express it. However, the fury felt by a narcissist is different from the anger that people usually feel. People who suffer from this disorder need constant adulation, attention, compliments and subservience. Their narcissistic behavior makes them live in the illusion that they are perfectionists and revered by people, irrespective of whether or not they have any accomplishments of their own.
As narcissistic people are dependent on other people to boost their self-esteem, any challenge, negative remark or disagreement from other people can be considered to be criticism, rejection and mockery. They take it as a personal assault and lash out at the person who provoked them. Such behavior can sometimes lead to physical as well as psychological harm to the other person.
Causes
- Obsession with self
- Experiences during the formative years
- Addiction of anger
- Blow to inflated sense of self-worth
- Self-defense against perceived or provoked insults
- Unfulfilled needs and requirements
- Expression of power through anger
Types
Explosive: Narcissistic individuals have a violent outburst which can be both verbal or physical in nature.
Passive-aggressive: The other way of expressing rage is passive-aggressive behavior where the narcissists do not harm the victim physically or mentally, but punish him passively.
Self-harm: Some narcissists like to manifest their rage by inflicting injury to themselves by cutting, burning, stabbing, etc.
Symptoms
Perfectionist: Narcissists believe that they are perfect individuals who know everything and can never do any wrong. The thought that somebody is challenging their views or behavior can make them extremely uncomfortable.
Superiority Complex: Narcissists live in an illusion where they picture their presence to be larger than life and are in constant need for admiration. They think that other people are inferior to them.
Negative Thinking: Their mind is easily taken over by the feelings of humiliation, insult, hurt, abandonment, rejection, etc. and they require constant positive reinforcement.
Arrogance: They don’t mind exhibiting a rude and arrogant behavior even if it offends others.
Self-obsession: They don’t think twice before manipulating others for their own advantage.
Violence: This rage often results into violent verbal and physical outburst on the person who has criticized or provoked the narcissist knowingly or unknowingly.
Fragile Ego: The fury stems from bloated self-esteem of the person. Slightest mockery or criticism, both provoked and perceived, can serve as a major blow to his ego for which he seeks revenge.
Controlling: They always like to be in control of the situation and ensure that they dominate others.
Cynosure: They enjoy being the center of attention and like to get praise for whatever they do.
Jealousy: Narcissists get upset and jealous of others’ achievements and exhibit their feelings through aggression or passiveness.
Unrealistic Approach: Oftentimes, they harbor unrealistic fantasies about accomplishments in their professional and personal lives.
Extreme Anger: The rage is not only targeted towards the person who provoked them, but also towards other innocent people.
Entitlement: They have unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment or disillusions about their entitled rights.
Treatment
Though it is possible to treat a person who is suffering from narcissism, it cannot be done unless the person realizes that he has some problem. However, having such a thought is actually quite impossible for a narcissistic person. But, there have been cases where narcissistic individuals, at some point in their lives, realized that they had a problem and sought professional help to get rid of it.
Opting for counseling and therapy to treat narcissism can have a positive effect. It is also important for the victims to seek a psychiatrist or psychologist who can help them to realize that the problem does not lie within them and aid them in restoring their self-respect and confidence.
Disclaimer ~ This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for the advice of a mental health expert.