My Friend Was A Narcissist and I Had No Idea
A story about a friend I knew in high school who has now been diagnosed as a narcissist.
I left high school back in 2014. Even though it’s seven years ago, everything about the school is still fresh in my mind from the layout, to the teachers, to my fellow pupils and, my school uniform.
One of the most important and precious memories you retain from your time at school are the ones you spent with the people around you. There are people at school who you remember because they were a nuisance, people you remember because of funny or dramatic incidents, but I had one particular friend — for identity protection reasons I’m going to call her Rachel — who is completely unforgettable.
It was revealed to me earlier this week through the gossip grapevine of my hometown, that Rachel has been diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Am I shocked? Not at all.
When you think of a narcissist, you tend to think of a male. Let us not forget that females can be narcissists too, although the odds are slightly smaller. A study in 2008 found that lifetime narcissistic personality disorder is more prevalent for men (7.7%) than for women (4.8%).
In Year 11 (age 15/16), pretty much everyone who was around Rachel knew there was something not right with her. Msot of the time, it was her name that was bouncing back and forth in the school hallways and she loved it. Teachers would pass her off as just being loud, self-centered, and a drama queen, but her school peers knew there was something slightly off.
So, the title of this piece says I had no idea, but really I had some idea but couldn’t place a finger on it.
I’m going to describe Rachel alongside the emerging traits of a narcissist according to society.
Inflated sense of superiority
An ‘inflated sense of superiority’ is another term for grandiose behaviour. Research states that grandiose narcissists are characterized by high self-esteem, a sense of personal superiority and entitlement, overconfidence, a willingness to exploit others for self-gain, and hostility and aggression when challenged.
