Need opinions please....is she a narc??

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#1 Apr 3 - 7PM
kgirl
kgirl's picture

Need opinions please....is she a narc??

I'm SO stuck....I feel like I can't move forward until I know if she is narcissistic or not. I don't trust my mind right now. I feel so to blame for how things went. If she is, I think I can understand what happened. If she isn't, I have a whole lot of work to do on myself! Sorry this is so long!

1.She has to be the center of attention and she will
dress, act and pull pranks to get it. If she couldn't get it in a positive way, she would sometimes run off and disappear to the point that people would worry about her.

2.She would exaggerate her abilities for example, priding herself on being able to ride a 4 wheeler better than all the guys. I have ridden with her and know this not to be true. She believes she has a special connection and ability to communicate with animals?? She's a pet owner is a special as I ever saw it.

3. She puts her initials on about everything she owns. She put her initials on a shirt she altered for me with fabric paint....and it isn't at all a piece of art. If she alters a shirt, purse, craft item....she says that she "Katie-ized" it, using her name to describe it how she altered it.

4. She wants to be constantly admired....mostly for her appearance, but also for achievements. She's said she likes a good "ego-boost" from other men. She is on Facebook constantly, her profile picture looks like a glamour shot. She posts everyday about how wonderful everything in her life is. She responds immediately to people who post on her own page, hardly ever posts on other people's walls unless of course it is about her. She overdresses for occasions, dresses provocatively and spends a lot of money on clothes for herself. she always has to have the best and most current things. She spends little money on clothing for her kids or on things for others. She was a poor gift giver.

5. She seemed envious of me....would buy and wear clothing I had, household items I had, copy things I'd do like beginning a running program. If I called her on any of it, she would say I watching her and and that she thinks I'm jealous of her.

6. It was always all about her. She never asked how I felt about anything. If I expressed my feelings, there was no empathy. Her situation was always worse or she had that happen once too. She would see me cry and not be at all bothered by it. She would say she wasn't emotional because she was strong or that she just felt numb. She was actually proud of not having to deal with emotions as much as other women.....thought her husband was lucky to have her and not the drama of other women.

7. If I ever had a problem with how she treated me, it was always my misunderstanding, or I was being too sensitive. I was wronged but came away feeling even worse. I've never apologized to anyone so much in my life. My words always came back to haunt me, turned on me or taken out of context.

8. She believes herself to be above others and makes many bad jokes and comments....specifically will target her neighbors, other races, her inlaws.

9. She often planned things with me, then backed out. Showed up late when we'd meet up. Would initiate chats online with me, then make me wait ridiculously long for her answers. My time didn't matter to her...even though I work full time and she works 2 half days a week.

10. She borrowed a large sum of money from me....agreed to pay me back by doing my hair (she's a hair stylist) She's done my hair twice and made me feel uncomfortable about it. In fact, I've given her so much financially, bought many things for her....she towards the end expected it and I was rarely thanked.

11. I've been treated to long silent treatments and cruel words when she doesn't like what I have to say. After that, she comes back to me like nothing happened and always wants to avoid issues and says we should just move forward. There's no discussing things with her....she shuts down.

12. I would say sweet things to her....I love you...I missed you so much. She mostly repsonded with "I know" or "ditto" or "me too."

At the end, I really feel she said we need to be just friends because I wasn't putting up with all her manipulation anymore. There was definately a honeymoon phase....I was the best thing and she claimed to love me, her life would be empty without me. And it has been a downward spiral of ups and downs since then. I feel like I've been devalued and haven't heard anything good from her in SO long.

She is married, constantly flirted with another man who was part of the gang of people that would hang out together. She would email him, chat with him online and be very physical with him at gatherings. His wife was bothered by it, but it didn't stop. So the wife stopped attending the gatherings (the guy attended anyway without his wife!) My N turned the whole group of friend's against his wife calling her a "crazy bitch"...literally renamed her that.

One of the worst things she ever did to me while we were together made me want to immediately throw up...
She knew I was already sensitive to that guy she would flirt with at gatherings. We were all camping one weekend and had had a couple drinks. She had been flirting with this guy and then she jumped on the back of a bike with him and they rode off. She comes back and shows me the grass stains on her back and tells me that he is "well hung"....I wanted to throw up. I immediately left. I asked her about it later, I was SO upset and hurt. She said nothing happened, they're just friends. I said I didn't believe her and she said all we did is kiss. She said you can choose to believe whatever you want and I can't change it. I asked would you even lead me to believe you got it on with him.....she said "I don't know, maybe to make you jealous." SO SICK!!!

Not sure if I qualify as having been Narced....but thank you so much for reading and giving your views.

Apr 4 - 7AM
Goldie
Goldie's picture

I was thinking Histrionic all the way

Obviously we do not diagnois over the Internet, however the entire time I was reading I was thinking classic Histrionic. All the PD's have narcissistic features because this is the nature of mental illness, the ultimate self absorbtion. The chances are pretty strong that she was lying. They tell you the worst for shock effect and to keep you down and on the string. Then they deny it for fear of losing you. Very difficult to deal with, hope this helps. Keep posting and let us know how you are making out. God bless, Goldie Histrionic Personality Disorder By Psych Central Staff Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by a long-standing pattern of attention seeking behavior and extreme emotionality. Someone with histrionic personality disorder wants to be the center of attention in any group of people, and feel uncomfortable when they are not. While often lively, interesting and sometimes dramatic, they have difficulty when people aren't focused exclusively on them. People with this disorder may be perceived as being shallow, and may engage in sexually seductive or provocating behavior to draw attention to themselves. Individuals with Histrionic Personality Disorder may have difficulty achieving emotional intimacy in romantic or sexual relationships. Without being aware of it, they often act out a role (e.g., "victim" or "princess") in their relationships to others. They may seek to control their partner through emotional manipulation or seductiveness on one level, whereas displaying a marked dependency on them at another level. Individuals with this disorder often have impaired relationships with same-sex friends because their sexually provocative interpersonal style may seem a threat to their friends' relationships. These individuals may also alienate friends with demands for constant attention. They often become depressed and upset when they are not the center of attention. People with histrionic personality disorder may crave novelty, stimulation, and excitement and have a tendency to become bored with their usual routine. These individuals are often intolerant of, or frustrated by, situations that involve delayed gratification, and their actions are often directed at obtaining immediate satisfaction. Although they often initiate a job or project with great enthusiasm, their interest may lag quickly. Longer-term relationships may be neglected to make way for the excitement of new relationships. Symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder A pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: •Is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention •Interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior •Displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions •Consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to themself •Has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail •Shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion •Is highly suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances •Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are As with all personality disorders, the person must be at least 18 years old before they can be diagnosed with it. Histrionic personality disorder is more prevalent in females than males. It occurs about 2 to 3 percent in the general population. Like most personality disorders, histrionic personality disorder typically will decrease in intensity with age, with many people experiencing few of the most extreme symptoms by the time they are in the 40s or 50s. How is Histrionic Personality Disorder Diagnosed? Personality disorders such as histrionic personality disorder are typically diagnosed by a trained mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Family physicians and general practitioners are generally not trained or well-equipped to make this type of psychological diagnosis. So while you can initially consult a family physician about this problem, they should refer you to a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment. There are no laboratory, blood or genetic tests that are used to diagnose histrionic personality disorder. Many people with histrionic personality disorder don't seek out treatment. People with personality disorders, in general, do not often seek out treatment until the disorder starts to significantly interfere or otherwise impact a person's life. This most often happens when a person's coping resources are stretched too thin to deal with stress or other life events. A diagnosis for histrionic personality disorder is made by a mental health professional comparing your symptoms and life history with those listed here. They will make a determination whether your symptoms meet the criteria necessary for a personality disorder diagnosis. Causes of Histrionic Personality Disorder Researchers today don't know what causes histrionic personality disorder. There are many theories, however, about the possible causes of histrionic personality disorder. Most professionals subscribe to a biopsychosocial model of causation -- that is, the causes of are likely due to biological and genetic factors, social factors (such as how a person interacts in their early development with their family and friends and other children), and psychological factors (the individual's personality and temperament, shaped by their environment and learned coping skills to deal with stress). This suggests that no single factor is responsible -- rather, it is the complex and likely intertwined nature of all three factors that are important. If a person has this personality disorder, research suggests that there is a slightly increased risk for this disorder to be "passed down" to their children. Treatment of Histrionic Personality Disorder Treatment of histrionic personality disorder typically involves long-term psychotherapy with a therapist that has experience in treating this kind of personality disorder. Medications may also be prescribed to help with specific troubling and debilitating symptoms. For more information about treatment, please see histrionic personality disorder treatment. Reference American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Apr 4 - 8PM (Reply to #10)
Susan32
Susan32's picture

Sometimes I thought I was histrionic...

Two of the symptoms, so to speak, speak to me: "Is highly suggestible"-I don't know if those comes from being an empath;I do dislike drama. The ex-Psych prof would call me a "people pleaser." "Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are"-WOW! This was a motif of the final D&D. I considered the ex-P my friend... tho NOT a lover/boyfriend or FWB. My friends would calmly be saying "He's just explaining the relationship to you. Why is this such a BIG DEAL?" I'd tell them how I'd be reduced to tears publicly, that I was sobbing myself to sleep... and I was told it was histrionics. They'd wonder why I was taking the rejection so hard. I experienced romantic rejection in high school... but it didn't cause me to lose my appetite, tense up, go thru PTSD. I've read that histrionic personality disorder sometimes results from narcissistic abuse. Sofia Tolstoy engaged in histrionic behavior;she was known to be dramatic... but then you read how Leo treated her, and it's cause/effect.
Apr 4 - 7AM (Reply to #8)
kgirl
kgirl's picture

Thanks you so much. She

Thanks you so much. She seems like she fits both narcissist AND histrionic! I'm assuming if she's only primarily histrionic that the DandD, patterns, outcomes and prognosis are the same as for just a pure narc?? I'll keep reading, but when you read you are left to draw your own conclusions regarding that person. I haven't trusted my judgememt lately. So very helpful if someone else can look at things and see what you see.... so validating. I appreciate it! ~Kauaigirl
Apr 4 - 8AM (Reply to #9)
Goldie
Goldie's picture

The DSM

Which is the manual used to describe the criteria in diagnoising: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Resently they have decided to revamp the whole narcissist disorder primarily due to the fact that most of the disorders have narcissist features and components, therefore, a histrionic will most likely have the signs and symptoms of a narc. Also there is not so much going to be a straight narc because most narcs have other issues as well. So it is more like a antisocial with narc features; this way, they can better break it down. There may be a antisocial, narcissist, addict, with major abandoment issues ect... this way they can make a more solid accurate diagnosis without lumping everyone into the same catagory. So in answer to your question, yes the charactoristics would be somewhat the same. They may not all be violent, or cheat like rabbits, yet you will see the same basic self centeredness, self absorbtion, lack of empathy, false persona, manipulative, the lying, the keeping you confused and walking on eggshells, ect.. those sorts of things are usually somewhat similar. God bless, Goldie
Apr 3 - 11PM
Lisa E. Scott
Lisa E. Scott's picture

kauaigirl

ABC makes a good point. She sounds histrionic as well, which is one of the 4 Cluster B personality disorders that often overlaps with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Based on what you wrote, she sounds like she is both NPD and HPD, but of course I'm not qualified to diagnose and I have not met her. I think it would help you to understand both disorders. Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) - pervasive attention-seeking behavior including inappropriate sexual seductiveness and shallow or exaggerated emotions. Here's a link with more info. on Cluster B personality disorders: http://www.lisaescott.com/2011/01/06/four-types-toxic-personalities The behavior she exhibited after returning from the ride with the married man says it all to me. If you ever doubt whether she suffers from a personality disorder, just remember how that incident made you feel. What she did to you (regardless of whether it was a joke) is sick, twisted and sadistic. It should tell you all you need to know about her to stay away for good. Hang in there. You will continue to get clarity and realize how much better off you are without her in your life. xoxo
Apr 4 - 6AM (Reply to #6)
kgirl
kgirl's picture

THANK YOU so much....your

THANK YOU so much....your input means a great deal to me. I feel like I understand the disorders....just having such a hard time believing that she IS these disorders. I'll keep reading :) Thanks again! ~kauaigirl
Apr 3 - 8PM
ABC0311
ABC0311's picture

Not an expert

But she does sound like she has lots of narcissistic qualities and also quite a bit Histrionic (have you read up on the PD?)
Apr 3 - 9PM (Reply to #2)
kgirl
kgirl's picture

Thanks so much for your

Thanks so much for your response..... I have read on PD. I just can't be objective her and it feels so important to me. I'm not having the best night .... feeling alone and a little panicky :(. I appreciate your opinion. ~K
Apr 3 - 11PM (Reply to #3)
michele115 (not verified)
Anonymous's picture

KG

sorry to hear you're having a rough night. It's early in this experience. I'd suggest starting out reading Lisa's articles to get a general idea, then move on to the other resources only because in my fog, I found her articles informative, well written and easy to comprehend in my "foggy" state. As you come out of it, you will be able to absorb more...some of the other resources online are draining...we all end up moving towards them, but for me what worked was reading all of Lisa's articles to get a general idea. The more I read, the more it became clear, she referenced certain things and then I moved on in my research from there. They're in the Blog section. Hugs!
Apr 4 - 6AM (Reply to #4)
kgirl
kgirl's picture

Thank you Michele :)...I am

Thank you Michele :)...I am having such a hard time feeling sure or accepting that this is her. I feel lik eI need that to move forward. I don't want to place blame with her or label her something that she is not. But I'm getting closer to acceptance of this.....thanks in a large part to YOU! hugs back ~KG