She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology. Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Narcissistic rage is a term that was first coined by author Heinz Kohut in to refer to the tendency for people with narcissistic personality disorder NPD to fly into a rage with what might seem like the slightest provocation or no obvious provocation at all.
People with NPD require that others give them consistent admiration and positive feedback. When this doesn't happen, it can elicit underlying feelings of shame that trigger an instant angry response and cause them to lash out without considering how it impacts the recipient.
Are you wondering if someone you know might be exhibiting signs of narcissistic rage? Or are you somewhat aware that you may have this tendency yourself? While it might feel as though the attack is calculated, most often, narcissistic rage is reactive in nature.
An episode of narcissistic rage derives from a threat to a person's sense of self and is characterized by intense anger. In a relationship, for example, this could manifest in physical or verbal abuse, manipulation, or passive-aggressive behavior. Narcissistic rage can be active or passive with corresponding outward or inward signs of the problem. Below are the signs and symptoms to watch out for. If you suspect that someone you know has problems with narcissistic rage or that you may have this problem yourself, you might also be curious as to the cause.
The criteria for a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder require a pervasive and long-term pattern of certain personality traits, including:. People may struggle with these types of narcissistic vulnerabilities without meeting the full criteria for narcissistic personality disorder. In addition, there are a number of specific factors or causes that can be identified when it comes to NPD and narcissistic rage in particular.
