Alcoholism and Narcissism: Unraveling the Complex Connection

On the other hand, their mask could start to slip, giving you a glimpse of the vulnerable inner self hiding behind the narcissist’s disguise. If you frequent a lot of bars, you’ve probably noticed that alcohol brings out the narcissist in everyone and tends to amplify a true narcissist’s most unpleasant characteristics. Read more about living with a person who has AUD and managing a relationship with someone who has NPD. If your alcohol use is severe, you’ll likely need to go to an inpatient facility so that you can safely withdraw from alcohol.

Rate of Recovery With Mental Illness

Establish clear boundaries to protect your emotional well-being, being clear about what behaviors you’re willing to tolerate and what your reaction will be if those boundaries are crossed. As alcohol impairs judgment, a narcissist’s underlying need for control and power can escalate into full-scale aggression. They will do anything to avoid scrutinizing their inner selves, even if it means drinking so much that it hurts their lives. All these factors increase the likelihood of a narcissist developing a problem with alcohol. They may use alcoholics are narcissists alcohol to feel more confident, charming, and socially adept, aligning with their belief in superiority. They may also garner respect for being able to consume more than others or for their willingness to engage in risky behaviors while drunk.

If you think you have NPD, try to make an appointment with a mental health professional. You can connect with a mental health professional using the Healthline FindCare tool. There’s little data on whether people with both NPD and AUD have a different outlook than people who have only one of the conditions. However, it’s recommended that both conditions are treated at the same time to improve your likelihood of recovery. Relapse is a common experience among people who are recovering from AUD.

Can alcoholism cause narcissistic personality disorder?

It’s like a perfect storm of nature and nurture, creating the ideal conditions for both alcoholism and narcissism to take root and flourish. If you find yourself in a relationship with someone who is an alcoholic narcissist, it is important to establish guidelines for your own safety and mental health. Narcissistic personality disorder and alcoholism frequently coexist, but there are some differences. Read further to understand both narcissism and alcoholism and the potential correlations between the two disorders. However, treatments like psychotherapy, group support, and self-care strategies can help people with either condition feel much better. If alcohol misuse begins to impact your life, health, or safety, you might have AUD.

Narcissism vs. narcissistic personality disorder

• They may use alcohol to feel more confident, charming, and socially adept, aligning with their belief in superiority.
• Another reason narcissists are likely to become alcoholics is their desire to fit in or stand out in social situations.
• In our study, narcissistic children also felt more comfortable leading peers with low self-esteem.
• Let’s consider the case of John, a successful executive who always believed he was destined for greatness.
• MentalHealth.com is a health technology company guiding people towards self-understanding and connection.
• But society can cultivate leadership skills in children, the leaders of tomorrow.

BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. Instead, they take on personality traits that may not be their own to make themselves look more powerful or interesting. Living with an alcoholic narcissist can be an emotional rollercoaster, and maintaining your equilibrium can be challenging in the face of their ever-changing emotions and demands. Let them face the consequences of their behavior and the impact their alcohol abuse is having on their lives.

Why Narcissists Emerge as Leaders Even in Childhood

• They may not care how their behavior may affect others and how their tendency to use people for their benefit may make them feel betrayed and hurt.
• Getting defensive when confronted, questioned, or challenged is a core defense mechanism technique used by both, narcissists and alcoholics.
• Co-occurring disorders are substance use disorders and mental disorders that exist at the same time.
• Its purpose is to educate, support, and empower people in their pursuit of well-being.

If you have NPD and AUD, finding support can be challenging because they are two separate disorders with two separate treatment approaches. Treating each condition independently can sometimes lead people to “choose one over the other,” especially if care is not coordinated. For instance, NPD and AUD both involve psychotherapy, but the formats for each can vary. For NPD, it may involve individual or group counseling using cognitive behavioral therapy, schema-focused therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy.

Addressing the root causes and adopting healthier habits allows you to achieve a more balanced and fulfilling life. Along with denying the existence of their drinking problem, alcoholics refuse to take responsibility for their harmful behaviors. This type of narcissism is marked by hypersensitivity to criticism and insecurity, often appearing shy or reserved. These individuals experience intense feelings of shame and inadequacy. Their behavior can include withdrawing from social interactions, displaying passive-aggressive tendencies, and struggling with chronic feelings of emptiness and depression. Each individual’s journey through this maze of addiction and personality disorder is unique, requiring a tailored approach to treatment and recovery.

Narcissists think they’re better than everyone else and even that they’re unaffected by the effects of alcohol abuse due to their inherent superiority. Narcissists base their self-worth on the praise and attention of others, and when they fail to secure it experience depressive symptoms like shame and isolation, which they seek to drown in alcohol. Studies suggest that “narcissists have higher cortisol and cardiovascular reactivity in socially threatening situations” and experience more stress. For instance, they tend to demonstrate a lack of empathy and are prone to anger, irritability, and impulsivity outbursts. When intoxicated, they may use alcohol to dominate others, manipulate situations, or maintain a sense of superiority.

Individuals with NPD often have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for excessive attention and admiration. They may exploit others without guilt or shame, believing they are superior and entitled to special treatment. Similarly, alcoholics avoid reflecting on their insecurities and lack of self-esteem by drinking.

Their own journey of sobriety since 2012 adds a personal touch to their work. Through their writing and compassionate coaching, Taylor empowers individuals, fostering personal growth and helping them lead fulfilling lives in recovery. For instance, grandiose narcissists, who have an inflated ego, sense of self-importance, and a disregard for others, may turn to alcohol as a way to maintain their grandiosity. This can lead to a pattern of behavior where they continue drinking, despite the negative consequences, which can make it difficult for them to stop drinking. A narcissist exhibits destructive behavior due to a lack of empathy and authentic emotions.

This isolation can, in turn, deepen feelings of loneliness and contribute to depression. While narcissistic traits tend to decline somewhat with age, this doesn’t mean they disappear entirely. Instead of openly seeking admiration, an older narcissist might adopt subtler ways to assert superiority. A former corporate leader may, for example, boast about their past achievements in a self-deprecating way, fishing for validation without overt arrogance. Or a retired professor might continue to dominate conversations, offering unsolicited advice as a way to maintain intellectual superiority. Narcissism is often linked to hypersensitivity and emotional instability, and these traits can become more pronounced with age, especially when loneliness or health issues arise.

Thus both have emotional inauthenticity and fail at maintaining healthy and long-lasting relationships. For alcoholics, their addiction can also lead to death in extreme cases, i.e. self-destruction. People around them experience betrayal, rejection, manipulation, and emotional injuries.

Alcoholics are not always narcissists, and narcissists aren’t always alcoholics. However, alcoholism can cause some people to develop narcissistic traits. Some of the behaviors exhibited by dry drunks are very similar to those seen in people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. Furthermore, alcoholic narcissist has an exceptionally difficult time admitting that they have a problem. In general, narcissists don’t like to accept responsibility for what they say and do.