This is insanely true. Since the redefinition of ‘alcoholism as a disease model’ there has been a steady statistical depression in the amount of responsibility people are willing to take for their own neurotic and compulsive actions.
Now, I don’t know why this is, but I woke up this morning and for no reason at all, that I am aware of, I began thinking of depression. The thought came to me. Depression is Narcicism. “It’s the same thing.” (Okay, I’m not counting it as an actual belief but the similarities …???"
If I look at depression as self-absorbtion of the self as being all important, fascinating things begin to happen.
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A high sense of self-importance. My depression is all that matters. I am too depressed to do this or that. (Normal people wake up feeling like shit, turn off the alarm clock, shower and go to work anyway.) We know we will feel better or worse during the day, and it’s just ‘one of those days.’ But to the depressed person, how they feel,'self-absorption in their feeling state - over which they have no control, is all that matters." That is narcissistic.
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They feel they deserve special privileges and treatment: Yep. They should be exempt from the things the rest of us have to do. I’m depressed, you have to understand. Wallowing in depression is a powerful tool for getting others to do your bidding.
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- Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements. (Superior? Does special count?) Same as above. I have special circumstances that you have to understand. It’s not my fault.
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- Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are. Oh my god, leave me alone, I tried to get over this. I walked around the block yesterday. I went to the store, You don’t know how hard this is.
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- Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate. (If only I wasn’t depressed …)
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- Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people. (You don’t know what this is like… You can’t understand, You have never suffered like this…)
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- Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important. Similar to the above. Who are you to tell me what to do? No doctor or health care professional
has ever been able to help me. They don’t know what they are doing.
- Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important. Similar to the above. Who are you to tell me what to do? No doctor or health care professional
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Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them. ("I can’t do it.) One of the most powerful people in the world is a person suffering from depression. They get people to do everything for them.
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Take advantage of others to get what they want. (Same as above.)
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Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others. (It’s all about understanding me, my symptoms, and my depression.)
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Be envious of others and believe others envy them. (Envious of others? Certainly. If it weren’t for depression, I could… Others envy them? I think this is the one point I can not argue.
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Insist on the best of everything… Okay… just insisting on assistance. I don’t see a lot of complaining about the quality of assistance though it certainly happens.
So, Depression as a Narcissistic Personality Disorder… Interesting because it has ramifications for treatment. What do you think?