maude76 asked this question on 4/19/2000:

What are some of the behavioral characteristics of a person with narcissistic personality disorder? Can this kind of person be an effective parent without therapy?

Imhere2listen_help gave this response on 4/19/2000:

the characteristics of a person with narcissistic personality disorder according to the diagnoistic criteria, are ; 1) Admirable self-image, (believes they are special, if not unique, deserving great admiration, 2) acting in a grandiose or self-assured manner, often without really having achieved something that really deserves that kind of recognition 3) high sense of self-worth, 4) believes others ought to treat them as special, 5) is not concerned with others unless it's what they do concerning the person, and will offer alibis to place oneself in the best possible light, despite evident shortcomings or failures. There are certain sites on the web, that will give you the diagnostic criteria exactly as they are written, but what it all comes down to, in my opinion, is someone who seems to think they are more important than others, and think people ought to treat them that way, and they also do not have a great deal of concern about other people's feelings. I really need some more information about the parent's interaction with the children in order to give you my opinion, as to whether they can be a good parent or not. Could you please describe an average daily interaction with the person who you believes has this personality disorder, and the way the person interacts with the child, or children. I'll check in tomorrow, and I'll be looking for your reply. I hope this helps.