Relationships With Narcissistic People - Basic Tips

Here are some basic tips for maintaining a productive relationship with a Narcissistic type person. Of course, each situation is unique, and symptoms and severities vary dramatically .

1) Keep your relationship on a practical level as much as possible, if you find yourself otherwise involved with distressingly argumentititve situations, or those that are overly filled with emotion and tension. .

2) Keep your contact distant if it is not returned and causes you distress. A narcisistic person very rarely understands your own emotional needs; trying to make them acknowledged will often merely lead to more frustrations.

3) If you find yourself in constant disagreement with such an individual, it may be helpful to define some firm limits or taboos in your interraction with them.

4) If you feel controlled or overly manipulated by a narcissist, do not try to argue or reason with them. A person with severe narcissism traits is never able to modify their behavior.

5) Never, for your safety and theirs, look for resolution through conflict with a person with severe pathological narcissism. Such types have a well documented response to rage - you will conform to their world view or be obliterated from it - usually through cutting off of all ties.

6) A more sensible approach than conflict with a person with a Narcisist is to gain some understanding of their condition, avoid conflict, and to work with the situation as constructively as you can.

7) The cause of excessive Narcissism can often be traced back to parental issues for the individual, for instance having a narcisistic or overly controlling and dominant family member.

8) If we are to compile a simplistic, yet illustrative, sketch of the narcisistic individual, he / she may be considered as having an overly developed regard for their own point of view, and world view.

9) Individuals that have working relationships with these individuals usually fit precise roles that strengthen, and often aggrandise, their idea of self worth. Any deviation from these roles is often met with displeasure, and arguing, even anger.

10) An example of a Narcisist's interraction may be that an individual has a conflict with such a person, and from it arises some conflict, either overt or unspoken. A verbal disagreement may erupt, during which the Narcisistic person may strike out, verbally or even physically.