“Narcissus weeps to find that his Image does not return his love.” ~ Mason Cooley

What causes narcissistic personality disorder?

Though there is no single known cause for narcissistic personality disorder, there are several factors that may be associated with the development of the recognized disorder, according to my research.

It’s all about loss, in some way or another – sort of – whether it’s a loss of a “normal” experience or a loss of the ability to become self-sufficient in one way or another. For example, researchers say the following circumstances could increase the chances of narcissistic personality disorder developing during a person’s lifetime.

1.  Severe emotional abuse in childhood
2. Unpredictable or negligible neglect by caregivers in childhood
3. Excessive pampering or praise in childhood
4. Excessive criticism for poor behaviors in childhood
5. An oversensitive temperament at birth.
6. Genetic abnormalities impacting psychobiology (the connection between brain and behavior)

Do you think you know someone with narcissistic personality disorder? Check out the top 10 warning signs that you’re being gaslighted, or learn more about NPD.

You might also want to check out my Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Resource Center, packed with free options for self-treatment and coaching for victims and survivors of narcissistic abuse in relationships.

Know or love a narcissist? Share your experiences in the comments section, and if you haven’t already, please fill out my narcissism in relationships survey, right here.

Get help with narcissistic abuse recovery right now.

• The QueenBeeing SPANily, Official – We consider this the best narcissistic abuse recovery support group on the web. It offers several subgroups and features a vigilant, compassionate admin team full of trained coaches and survivors, supporting more than 12k members. SPAN is an acronym created by Angie Atkinson that stands for Support for People Affected by Narcissistic abuse in toxic relationships.
• Other Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Support Groups – We also have separate groups for each stage in your narcissistic abuse recovery and some for those who have moved past recovery and are evolving into the next stage of their own life. Survivors have unique and individual needs, even when they’ve moved on – so we’re still here for you.
• One-on-One Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coaching – If you prefer to get more personalized support in your recovery, you might like to schedule a session with one of our coaches to plan and execute your own narcissistic abuse recovery plan.
• Find a Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Therapist – If you’re looking for a therapist for narcissistic abuse recovery, either because you cannot afford coaching and want to use your health insurance or because you have additional issues you need to address that do not fall within the realm of coaching, you will want to find the right therapist for you – and as far as we’re concerned, that therapist must understand what you’ve been through. This page offers assistance to help you do exactly that.
• Where Are You in Recovery? You might not be sure exactly where you fit in and what level of recovery you’ve achieved. If that’s the case, you’ll want to check out this self-assessment to help you determine exactly where you fall in the stages of recovery from narcissistic abuse. Once you finish and submit the assessment, you will be given resources for your own situation, along with recommendations of which groups to join.
• Which Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Program is Right for You? If you aren’t sure which program you want to utilize to facilitate your recovery from narcissistic abuse, this self-assessment will help you decide.

Related articles

• Toxic Relationships and Narcissism: Stages of Gaslighting
• Secrets and Self-Loathing: Identifying a Covert Narcissist
• Are you married to a narcissist? 12 easy ways to spot