Even in this contemporary age, aging is a natural process that is one of the most taxing and frustrating things that can happen to a person’s body. However, aging is something that cannot be prevented or reversed.

One thing is for certain: If one adopts a genuine healthy lifestyle and diet, aging can be slowed down.

According to some accounts, there is a hereditary component associated with aging that determines whether or not your old age will be comfortable.

OUTLINE OF NARCISSISM:

In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is one of 10 personality disorders listed. The defining characteristics of NPD are a laundry list of qualities you should never search for in a partner. Having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance, not showing empathy for others, and having a strong desire for constant adoration or attention. People with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are frequently seen as being self-centered, lacking empathy, and needing attention and recognition intensely. There are, however, other crucial factors at work underneath this apparent superiority.

FEATURES OF NARCISSISM

• Feeling of Unfairness

The conviction that they are superior to others and deserving of special treatment is a typical symptom of narcissists. They think that the rules don’t apply to them and that everyone else should submit to their will.

• manipulative conduct

Behavior that is manipulative or dominating is another characteristic of narcissism. A narcissist will first strive to win your favor and make an impression on you, but in the end, their demands will always come first.

In order to maintain control, narcissists will work to keep others at a certain distance when relating to them. They might even take advantage of others to benefit themselves.

• A desire for admiration

A persistent desire for praise or adoration is one of the most obvious indications of narcissism. This type of person frequently boasts or exaggerates their accomplishments in order to gain approval from others. To bolster their egos, they also enjoy receiving praise.

• Absence of Empathy

Another narcissistic trait is the absence of empathy. This indicates that the narcissist lacks the ability or willingness to understand the needs, desires, or feelings of other people. Additionally, it makes it challenging for them to accept accountability for their actions.

• Arrogance

People that exhibit narcissistic behavior  already believe they are better than other people, so when they don’t get the treatment they believe they deserve, they may become nasty or abusive. They may speak or behave impolitely toward someone they consider to be inferior, although believing themselves to be superior.

AGING, A NATURAL PROCESS:

Early adulthood is when aging starts; it is a steady, ongoing process of natural change. Many biological systems start to progressively deteriorate in early middle age.

No one’s age marks the beginning of old age for everybody. The traditional definition of old age is when a person becomes 65. However, history, not biology, was the underlying cause. In Germany, the first country to create a retirement system, 65 years old was decided upon as the retiring age many years ago. The age at which a person becomes eligible for Medicare insurance in the United States was set at 65 in 1965. The majority of people in economically developed cultures retire at about this age.

The question of whether aging-related symptoms are normal or aberrant is one that many people have. Despite the fact that everyone ages slightly differently, aging itself causes some changes that are caused by internal processes. These alterations are therefore common and frequently referred to as “pure aging,” despite the fact that they are undesirable. It is part of the notion of pure aging that these changes take place in everyone who lives long enough. Most of the time, it is impossible to avoid the adjustments, which are to be expected. As a person ages, their eye’s lens, for instance, thickens, stiffens, and loses its ability to focus on close objects like reading materials (a disorder called presbyopia). The majority of older persons experience this transformation. Presbyopia is viewed as a typical part of aging as a result.

AGE AND MENTAL HEALTH

Elderly people, defined as those 60 years of age and older, play significant roles in families, the community, and the workplace. Many older persons are at danger of acquiring mental disorders, neurological disorders, or substance use problems, even if the majority are in generally good mental health. They also run the risk of getting other illnesses including diabetes, hearing loss, and osteoarthritis. In addition, as people get older, they are more likely to be dealing with multiple ailments at once.

PERSONALITY DISORDERS INTERSECTING THE AGING PROCESS

According to Dr. Rosowsky, personality disorders like paranoia, schizophrenia, schizotypal behavior, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and dependency are all prone to getting worse with age.

Specific pressures have a tendency to make some conditions particularly vulnerable to getting worse. As an illustration, depending on strangers for care increases the chance of paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, and avoidant personality disorders. People with borderline, narcissistic, or histrionic illnesses struggle with losing their attractiveness.

WHAT INTERPRETATIONS COULD BE MADE FOR A NARCISSISTIC PERSON AS HE AGES?

Older narcissists exhibit more extreme manifestations of their worst traits, such as increasing their levels of isolation, desperation, delusion, and paranoia.

Contrary to one study’s findings, which state unequivocally that narcissism decreases with age and loneliness increases, the present study’s approach assesses both of these in a focused sample of participants who are middle-aged and older.

SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL EVIDENCE OF NARCISSISM AND INCREASING AGE:

In this study, 237 participants were involved. Their levels of narcissism, specifically their conceit, confidence in their leadership abilities, and sense of entitlement, were measured when they were 18 years old as freshmen at the University of California, Berkeley, and again when they were 41 years old.

As they aged, the majority of the participants’ narcissism decreased. At ages 18 and 41, just 3% of people showed an increase in narcissism, and a few people showed the same degree. The study’s authors also discovered that each facet of narcissism that was looked at had a unique effect on the lives of the subjects.

For instance, those with higher levels of vanity at the age of 18 had a larger likelihood of being in unstable relationships and marriages, as well as a higher likelihood of getting divorced by middle age. They claimed to be in better health by age 41, nevertheless.

At age 41, those who felt the most entitled as young adults reported more traumatic life events and tended to be less happy and satisfied with their lives.

Where study has been done on this subject, it has been noticed that narcissistic inclinations can vary with age due to often simultaneous changes in a person’s function in society. These adjustments could include a loss of independence as well as a reduction in authority and duty.

THE TERM: NARCISSISTIC COLLAPSE

“Narcissistic collapse” is a condition where a narcissist experiences victimhood and defeat after the main source of their ego-stroking disappears. The narcissist can no longer maintain the facade at that point, and the monster hiding behind is revealed. Lies and a false self are exposed. At this moment, the narcissist could become angry with other people while unintentionally maintaining complete seclusion. It is quite amazing to see, and it often happens to elderly narcissists.

SIGNS OF NARCISSISTIC COLLAPSE:

A person experiencing a narcissistic collapse may be drawn to actions that endanger their safety or the safety of others. They might, for instance, take part in:

• gambling
• excessive alcohol and drug use
• erratic driving
• irritation with more things
• expanded sensitivity
• verbal displays of extreme feelings, such as hatred, as well as unpredictable and unusual conduct
• Self-harming manipulation strategies, such as the silent treatment or ghosting, anxiety-inducing outbursts of rage

Someone going through a narcissistic collapse could appear out of control, incredibly enraged, and vengeful to the person they are being communicated with. In certain instances, it could appear as though someone is completely avoiding them and treating them like nothing is going on.

The incident may cause the individual experiencing the collapse to feel tremendous emotional agony and panic, as well as a greater need to restore control.

NARCISSISTIC STRUGGLES IN THE OLD AGE:

As it has been seen, there is a correlation between narcissism and aging, and as one becomes older, they are less able to use their traits for their own benefit.

This causes a lot of problems because he battles with his aging and the people around him, as well as within himself.

• In addition, as they become older, narcissists lose their capacity to charm and impress, and they also lose all of their appealing qualities. It gets more difficult to find someone who exhibits narcissistic tendencies, or their overwhelming desire for praise and adoration from others. Many narcissists find themselves alone, get even more resentful, and continue to hold others accountable for their own failures because they have always refused to accept responsibility.

• Another frequent problem is money. It is well known that narcissists spend a lot of money on brand clothing and expensive vehicles to impress others. Their lack of impulse control frequently results in costly addictions and a ton of debt, which may not leave them with much to live on as they are older.

It goes without saying that getting older brings medical                 problems, but even if that isn’t the case, the least concerning aspect of getting older is how frail and feeble one becomes. Older people are unable to work as hard as younger generations do and are unable to maintain their flaunting behavior because they lack the financial resources.

LONELINESS OVERSHADOWING  THE NARCISSISM

One way to think of narcissism is as an evolved defense mechanism against some unpleasant psychological states, one of which is loneliness, from which other negative psychological states eventually emerge. The decline in narcissism in older people may contribute to their greater vulnerability to depression, which in turn “may induce many kinds of physical sickness.” According to studies, emotions of loneliness are caused by low levels of narcissism and high degrees of shyness. It was predicted that older participants would report lower levels of narcissism and higher degrees of loneliness than middle-aged individuals, in keeping with ideas about age-based differences in narcissism and existing literature on loneliness. It was predicted that loneliness and narcissism would have a positive correlation with age and that narcissism would have a negative correlation with age.

POSITIVE-NEGATIVE BALANCE OF NARCISSISM WITH AGE

The researchers discovered that each aspect of narcissism was linked to a variety of adverse and, in a few instances, advantageous results for the person. By the time they reached middle age, those who had higher levels of vanity at the age of 18 were more likely to be in unstable partnerships and marriages. But by age 41, they also claimed to be in better health. On the other hand, people who felt the most entitled as young adults reported more traumatic life events and tended to be less happy and satisfied with their lives by the time they reached middle age.

NARCISSISTIC SUPPLY IN WANE?

Because they have built their self-esteem and sense of self out of the most superficial, materialistic, and trivial forms of narcissistic supply (i.e., validation, admiration, reassurance, power, and control) that society has to offer, narcissists lose their ability to obtain adequate amounts of narcissistic supply as they age.

Narcissists are wholly reliant on the narcissistic supply they require to cultivate a healthy feeling of self and self-worth in their environment. Although they have an incredible number of manipulation techniques, which allow them access to a huge supply of narcissistic material, these techniques grow less and less effective as the narcissist gets older.

To summarize everything said in this section, it can be said that narcissists get worse as they age because as they get older, all of their painful thoughts, feelings, and emotions start to undermine their emotional stability because they are unable to obtain enough narcissistic supply, which makes their false identity less effective.