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September 28, 2026 at 12:09:44 AM
I don't particularly care whether someone with ASPD and NPD traits calls themself a malignant narcissist or not, but in your Discord you write NPD as suspected and often (or at least more than once) mention you're not sure whether you have it. While in the same breath, confidently identifying as a malignant narcissist. To me, that just feels off because of the origins of the term. I hope my point of view is clear. Thank you for your time again.
Replied on: September 28, 2026 at 7:35:25 AM
Ill reply to both of your messages here
I understand your point now, especially the distinction you're making between having medically recognized NPD traits and having NPD itself. The confusion came from my wording, because I realize saying I "suspect NPD" made it sound like my psychiatrist only recognized some narcissistic traits and wasn't considering NPD itself.
To clarify my clinical situation, my psychiatrist has recognized NPD itself as a possibility in my presentation and has put it on the table alongside my ASPD. She is also the one who has described me as a malignant narcissist in the context of my clinical presentation. The uncertainty is more about how my narcissistic presentation relates to my ASPD and how my diagnoses are best conceptualized, rather than NPD never having been clinically considered.
So yes, I do consider the term something I can reclaim in my own case, because I'm not using it on the basis of simply having narcissistic traits. It's terminology that has been applied to me in a clinical context by my own psychiatrist, alongside NPD being medically considered in my assessment.
I also agree that "suspected NPD" was a poor way for me to phrase this publicly. I was trying to communicate that there is still some diagnostic uncertainty, but I ended up making it sound like I was only self-suspecting NPD. That's not what I meant.
But if you meant to say that I cannot use the term at all because the terminology is outdated then fair enough, I won't, nobody's perfect, and my doctor can be inaccurate, but if it's regarding if I can reclaim it, then yes I can, if you wanna take this to dms feel free to! I won't have any issues talking this out with you and won't take anything in a bad note