How Does CBT Benefit People With Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
In addition to being characterized by inaccurate and self-destructive beliefs about oneself and others, NPD is often marked by deficiencies in certain skills that prevent patients from adapting to change, and other environmental and contextual factors serve to reinforce destructive behaviors.According to the National Institutes of Health, cognitive behavioral therapy addresses all of these components of a personality disorder through a range of techniques that produce meaningful shifts in thought and behavior. These techniques include:Cognitive restructuring, which is the process of learning to identify irrational thoughts, known as cognitive distortions, and replace them with rational thoughts. Cognitive distortions most commonly associated with Narcissistic Personality Disorder include black-and-white thinking, magical thinking, and magnification.Behavior modification, or learning to replace harmful behaviors with those that are healthy.Exposure therapy, during which patients are gradually exposed to a situation they fear so that they become less sensitive to it over time.Psychoeducation, which involves educating patients about their mental condition to better understand how it affects their thought processes.Skills training, during which patients develop tools and learn techniques and strategies for coping with certain aspects of the condition.Cognitive behavioral therapy is practical and technique-based, with “homework” assignments that help patients immediately put to use the skills they’ve learned in therapy. If you have a loved one who suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, either alone or in addition to a substance abuse problem or other mental illness, finding a qualified cognitive behavioral therapist or a recovery program that utilizes this highly effective therapy can help restore your loved one’s mental health and improve his or her overall quality of life.
How Does CBT Benefit People With Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
In addition to being characterized by inaccurate and self-destructive beliefs about oneself and others, NPD is often marked by deficiencies in certain skills that prevent patients from adapting to change, and other environmental and contextual factors serve to reinforce destructive behaviors. According to the National Institutes of Health, cognitive behavioral therapy addresses all of these components of a personality disorder through a range of techniques that produce meaningful shifts in thought and behavior. These techniques include: Cognitive restructuring, which is the process of learning to identify irrational thoughts, known as cognitive distortions, and replace them with rational thoughts. Cognitive distortions most commonly associated with Narcissistic Personality Disorder include black-and-white thinking, magical thinking, and magnification. Behavior modification, or learning to replace harmful behaviors with those that are healthy. Exposure therapy, during which patients are gradually exposed to a situation they fear so that they become less sensitive to it over time. Psychoeducation, which involves educating patients about their mental condition to better understand how it affects their thought processes. Skills training, during which patients develop tools and learn techniques and strategies for coping with certain aspects of the condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy is practical and technique-based, with “homework” assignments that help patients immediately put to use the skills they’ve learned in therapy. If you have a loved one who suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, either alone or in addition to a substance abuse problem or other mental illness, finding a qualified cognitive behavioral therapist or a recovery program that utilizes this highly effective therapy can help restore your loved one’s mental health and improve his or her overall quality of life.