Author: Charles Frank

Alcoholic Narcissist: How the Two Conditions Are Related

It is not a coincidence that narcissists, in general, tend to gravitate toward interacting with caring and compassionate people. The covert narcissist recognizes those opportunities for manipulation as well. Where the more overt, extroverted narcissist will be obvious in their elevated sense of self and their arrogance when interacting with others, the covert narcissist may be less obvious. Drinking when consequences are obviously damaging or will cause major losses, are both signs of severe alcohol abuse. In some cases, the person can fail to recognize how drinking is negatively affecting their life, and accuse others of being extreme.

Is there a link between narcissism and addiction?

  1. Further research into the causes of AUD might help experts develop more treatment options.
  2. Recognizing covert personality traits requires looking beyond obvious appearances, past common assumptions and expectations.
  3. A 2018 meta-analysis looked at the results of 62 studies and found that grandiose narcissism has a moderate association with increased social network use.

If they can get you to question your perceptions, it allows them the opportunity to manipulate and exploit you more. The overt narcissist will demand admiration and attention, where the covert narcissist will use softer tactics to meet those same goals. The covert narcissist will be much more likely to constantly seek reassurance about their talents, skills, and accomplishments, looking for others to feed that same need for self-importance. The reality for both the overt and covert narcissist is that they have a fragile sense of self. Covert narcissists are only different from overt (more obvious) narcissists in that they tend to be more introverted.

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What treatment options are available for each condition?

Overt narcissism is what we tend to think of as the standard textbook definition of NPD. An overt narcissist comes off as self-absorbed, vain and outwardly expressive about their self-importance but tends to feel insecure, less-than and inadequate on the inside. When we hear that someone is a narcissist, we often imagine them as being overly assertive and outwardly aggressive.

Where to find support if you’re experiencing NPD or AUD

It found that narcissism was a predictor of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. People can misuse alcohol without having AUD or being addicted to alcohol. They might infrequently have bouts of excessive drinking, for example, but find that it doesn’t affect their life and that it’s easy to cut back on alcohol (or to stop drinking entirely). These overlapping traits can make it hard to distinguish alcohol misuse from narcissism. To add to the confusion, neither “narcissism” nor “narcissist” are diagnoses or disorders.

Covert narcissism traits

AddictionResource.net, and its parent company Recovery Guide LLC, is not a provider of substance use disorder treatment services and receives compensation from Treatment X LLC in the form of paid advertising. Beginning down the road to recovery from alcohol or drug addiction may feel overwhelming, but that is where we can offer some assistance. Reach out to one of our addiction specialists for alcohol treatment help today.

This helpline is answered by Treatment X LLC, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. For many of these individuals, alcohol leads to significant disruptions in their everyday life. However, it is more likely that the alcoholic is trying to surround themselves with others that support these extreme drinking habits. Although it is a relatively new phenomenon, social media addiction has been around since the advent of sharing pictures and status updates online. Support from loved ones can help people with NPD or AUD change their behavior and work toward recovery.

This study concluded that people with grandiose narcissism are more able to evaluate and recognize their problems with alcohol than people with vulnerable narcissism. People in the latter group are less able to recognize that they have a problem and are, therefore, less likely to be ready to change their behaviors. A 2019 study involving young adults with vulnerable narcissism found that the disorder can cause overwhelming feelings of shame in the individual. The person then seeks out alcohol or substances to mediate these feelings, leading to more feelings of shame, and so on. This creates a pattern of dependent behavior, which is extremely harmful. Both grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism show a strong link to substance use disorders.

Consider what is important to you, what your values are, and work to create boundaries to support them. You, nor your loved one, are under any obligation to commit to a Treatment X treatment program when calling the helpline. The helpline at AddictionResource.net is available 24/7 to discuss the treatment needs of yourself or a loved one.