Mustard Seed Counseling Blog

  Beyond the Buzz:  Understanding the Difference Between Narcissistic Traits and Narcissistic Personality Disorder You've probably heard the term "narcissist" commonly and casually thrown around a lot lately.  It has become a very popular buzzword, typically used to describe a person who only talks about themselves, or the person who takes credit for your work, or an ex that seemed really charming at first, but turned out to be extremely self-centered. But what does the word really mean?  Is being a "narcissist" just a common personality flaw, or is it a serious mental health issue?  The answer comes from understanding the critical difference between narcissistic traits and the clinical diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NDP). That gap between the casual label everyone is using and the clinical reality is huge.  And misusing the term can minimize the severity of a genuine, clinical disorder, while at the same time, stigmatizing "normal" e...