Christ_empowered
Member
Its the "it" disorder, it seems. The younger generations (those college age kids) are supposedly more narcissistic than previous cohorts. Society as a whole is apparently more narcissistic, what with Facebook and all. There seems to be books all over about NPD and getting over NPD abuse. And...
I was diagnosed w/ severe NPD. I mean, severe. Age 18, 19, and 20. Age 20, the shrinks did electroshock and inflicted a "narcissistic injury/wound" that was never supposed to "heal." They also put me through hell ("humbling experiences"). Age 23...more shock and who knows what else, some meds, out the door (5 day hospitalization).
Apparently, I still fit the criteria for NPD--at least according to some experts--until recently. What happened? 2.5 years ago, I got saved. I finally, somehow, said the sinner's prayer with as much humility as I could muster...and I began to change. Not that me changing is the whole Point of Salvation, but...its a very, very good thing.
I'm wondering, now, looking back, if maybe one reason NPD is "intractable," "untreatable," is because of the way NPD people are treated. If you're treated like there's no hope, no reason to try to help you, you just may get worse, or at least not get better. Just sayin'...
Also, I've noticed that people attach psychological labels to people they don't care for. So, you had an abusive parent. These days, you'll say "I had an NPD, drug addicted mother," whereas in years past you probably would have said "I had an extremely self-centered, junkie mother." See what I'm saying here? The NPD "diagnosis" isn't much of a diagnosis, especially when there's (supposedly) no effective treatment. Its a condemnation, sort of like being branded a witch back in the days of The Inquisition.
That's not to say that NPD isn't a problem. I did lack empathy. I did have a sense of entitlement, etc. etc. I was also in my late teens to early 20s, and there was a lot behind all that. Every "mental patient," including the NPD-ers, has a story behind the labels...and, most of the time, nobody cares. Trust me on that one.
So, I've been on The Google seeing what I can find out about NPD. There's this guy who apparently makes his living as a narcissistic expert on NPD. Seriously. Check out http://samvak.tripod.com/ .
He's well versed in psychoanalytic theory, which is where the concept of NPD comes from. Freud wrote a paper on Narcissism in 1917 or something. The problem? I'm a Born Again Christian. This Sam Vak guy declares Jesus NPD (no, I'm not joking...). Christianity and psychoanalysis don't mix all that well. Hold every thought captive to Christ...
Plus, he seems to make a living demonizing other NPD people and telling victims of "narcissistic abuse" what they want to hear.
The shrinks said I was incurable, blah blah blah. My current counselor is apparently impressed with my progress. My shrink...I dunno. My counselor is Born Again, M.Divinity, good guy. My shrink? My shrink wants me to get my own place and get a homogay companion (I'm pursuing celibacy since my homogay-ness doesn't jive with The Bible). Which leads me to another point...
..I had a Calvinist, SBC minister a few years ago, when I was living in another state. He told me: a) happy people don't go to counseling; b) Christ can "re-parent" you in a way that resolves all your family issues over time; and c) there's a lot of hardcore, unrepentant sinners in Mental Health, Inc., and they're leading people down the wrong path. My current counselor--a non-Calvinist, Baptist M.Divinity guy--says that current mental health involves "affirming" a lot of behaviors Christians know lead to destruction. He said a lot of the problems he sees, especially the depressive episodes, could be prevented and/or resolved with faith in Christ. Which makes me think...
a lot of psychiatry and mental health is dogma, a belief system that often runs counter to Christ. I'm serious. Do a search on The Google and see what kind of psychobabble comes your way. What's crazy is that there's overlap between the Master of Divinity and secular counseling. Not always a bad thing, clearly, but...some of these M.Divinity people have clearly sold out, in a big big way. That's both sad and frightening. Oh...and sinful, in a big big way. Just sayin'.
I dunno why, exactly, I'm writing and posting this. I'm figuring life, my life in Christ (and this is the first time I've had a life...I think now that I kind of existed before) out by writing things out. Luckily for me...I can write fairly well now, thanks to Christ. After all that shock, I was dull and not writing well at all, for a season.
I guess this is a call for empathy for all people, even the NPD-ers. Love the un-lovable, am I right? Also, I think Christians should start thinking critically about Mental Health, Inc. Everybody should, really--billion$ are spent on pills and services per year--but as Christians, we should be wary of a profession that labels, drugs, and "treats" people based on beliefs that are often decidedly anti-Christ.
Not that meds are bad. I now take 4 myself. Not ideal, trust me. Apparently, my "Bipolar I" requires some serious treatment. I'm blessed to be on disability (I'm getting a degree so, hopefully, I won't always be on disability) and receiving modern, more tolerable meds. I get much more benefit out of treatment than I do drawbacks, so...I'm in it to win it.
I just wonder about the ideas, beliefs, etc. that are guiding the "helping professions," especially since there are so many counselors, therapists, social workers, and shrinks...and there doesn't seem to be a big improvement in suicide, crime, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. Oh, and...when you're Severely Mentally Ill, like me, you'll find that a lot of the pros aren't interested. Even when you pay them. Tranquilizers, maybe a mood stabilizer...hope for the best! This is one reason so few recover.
Ramble ramble...if you made it this far, thanks.
I was diagnosed w/ severe NPD. I mean, severe. Age 18, 19, and 20. Age 20, the shrinks did electroshock and inflicted a "narcissistic injury/wound" that was never supposed to "heal." They also put me through hell ("humbling experiences"). Age 23...more shock and who knows what else, some meds, out the door (5 day hospitalization).
Apparently, I still fit the criteria for NPD--at least according to some experts--until recently. What happened? 2.5 years ago, I got saved. I finally, somehow, said the sinner's prayer with as much humility as I could muster...and I began to change. Not that me changing is the whole Point of Salvation, but...its a very, very good thing.
I'm wondering, now, looking back, if maybe one reason NPD is "intractable," "untreatable," is because of the way NPD people are treated. If you're treated like there's no hope, no reason to try to help you, you just may get worse, or at least not get better. Just sayin'...
Also, I've noticed that people attach psychological labels to people they don't care for. So, you had an abusive parent. These days, you'll say "I had an NPD, drug addicted mother," whereas in years past you probably would have said "I had an extremely self-centered, junkie mother." See what I'm saying here? The NPD "diagnosis" isn't much of a diagnosis, especially when there's (supposedly) no effective treatment. Its a condemnation, sort of like being branded a witch back in the days of The Inquisition.
That's not to say that NPD isn't a problem. I did lack empathy. I did have a sense of entitlement, etc. etc. I was also in my late teens to early 20s, and there was a lot behind all that. Every "mental patient," including the NPD-ers, has a story behind the labels...and, most of the time, nobody cares. Trust me on that one.
So, I've been on The Google seeing what I can find out about NPD. There's this guy who apparently makes his living as a narcissistic expert on NPD. Seriously. Check out http://samvak.tripod.com/ .
He's well versed in psychoanalytic theory, which is where the concept of NPD comes from. Freud wrote a paper on Narcissism in 1917 or something. The problem? I'm a Born Again Christian. This Sam Vak guy declares Jesus NPD (no, I'm not joking...). Christianity and psychoanalysis don't mix all that well. Hold every thought captive to Christ...
Plus, he seems to make a living demonizing other NPD people and telling victims of "narcissistic abuse" what they want to hear.
The shrinks said I was incurable, blah blah blah. My current counselor is apparently impressed with my progress. My shrink...I dunno. My counselor is Born Again, M.Divinity, good guy. My shrink? My shrink wants me to get my own place and get a homogay companion (I'm pursuing celibacy since my homogay-ness doesn't jive with The Bible). Which leads me to another point...
..I had a Calvinist, SBC minister a few years ago, when I was living in another state. He told me: a) happy people don't go to counseling; b) Christ can "re-parent" you in a way that resolves all your family issues over time; and c) there's a lot of hardcore, unrepentant sinners in Mental Health, Inc., and they're leading people down the wrong path. My current counselor--a non-Calvinist, Baptist M.Divinity guy--says that current mental health involves "affirming" a lot of behaviors Christians know lead to destruction. He said a lot of the problems he sees, especially the depressive episodes, could be prevented and/or resolved with faith in Christ. Which makes me think...
a lot of psychiatry and mental health is dogma, a belief system that often runs counter to Christ. I'm serious. Do a search on The Google and see what kind of psychobabble comes your way. What's crazy is that there's overlap between the Master of Divinity and secular counseling. Not always a bad thing, clearly, but...some of these M.Divinity people have clearly sold out, in a big big way. That's both sad and frightening. Oh...and sinful, in a big big way. Just sayin'.
I dunno why, exactly, I'm writing and posting this. I'm figuring life, my life in Christ (and this is the first time I've had a life...I think now that I kind of existed before) out by writing things out. Luckily for me...I can write fairly well now, thanks to Christ. After all that shock, I was dull and not writing well at all, for a season.
I guess this is a call for empathy for all people, even the NPD-ers. Love the un-lovable, am I right? Also, I think Christians should start thinking critically about Mental Health, Inc. Everybody should, really--billion$ are spent on pills and services per year--but as Christians, we should be wary of a profession that labels, drugs, and "treats" people based on beliefs that are often decidedly anti-Christ.
Not that meds are bad. I now take 4 myself. Not ideal, trust me. Apparently, my "Bipolar I" requires some serious treatment. I'm blessed to be on disability (I'm getting a degree so, hopefully, I won't always be on disability) and receiving modern, more tolerable meds. I get much more benefit out of treatment than I do drawbacks, so...I'm in it to win it.
I just wonder about the ideas, beliefs, etc. that are guiding the "helping professions," especially since there are so many counselors, therapists, social workers, and shrinks...and there doesn't seem to be a big improvement in suicide, crime, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. Oh, and...when you're Severely Mentally Ill, like me, you'll find that a lot of the pros aren't interested. Even when you pay them. Tranquilizers, maybe a mood stabilizer...hope for the best! This is one reason so few recover.
Ramble ramble...if you made it this far, thanks.