Many people who appear to have "Narcissism", or behave in a narcissistic-like fashion, may actually have another undiagnosed mental illness or disorder, or have unrecognized cognitive issues.
However, when a person notices that someone in their family is showing signs of a mental illness or limitation, they are UNLIKELY to find that they can talk to others about it in a non-judgmental, calm or intelligent discussion, and they are UNLIKELY to receive unbiased, objective feedback, or any support.
There are only a couple of go-to diagnoses that both the medical community and people in general can seem to handle and be at least somewhat supportive and mature about, one of which is Alzheimer's, and another is ADHD. Other than that, many people both in and out of the medical, caregiver, and educational fields tend to be dismissive or judgmental toward those with any kind of mental/emotional issue, or about someone's loved one having an emotional or mental issue, or limitation.
Even PTSD sufferers are often treated dismissively, like they're "annoying" or burdensome, or faking it, even by their own doctors and therapists, never mind family or friends. So getting neutral or positive support regarding a friend or loved one's mental/emotional issue seems to now be just a memory of a better era, or a TV-fantasy. Talking to a person who is actually a compassionate, genuinely caring professional in one of these occupations often reveals deep frustration about the overall state of their field, and how they feel like their hands are tied, or like they have very little peer support.
Lack of recognition of disorders, illnesses, and cognitive issues is a reflection of the larger cultural problems. VERY FEW people now are able to discern one issue from another, because there is so little neutrality, calmness, and common civility to compare mental illness or limitations with. The "baseline" is being erased by an overwhelming increase in a culture of emotional reactivity.
The current culture lacks leadership regarding recognizing and dealing compassionately or objectively, without prejudice, with those who have a disorder or cognitive limitations. There is a lot of talk about being compassionate, and a lot of people think of themselves as compassionate toward others, and the medical, psychiatric, and educational fields are bursting to the seams with unprecedented numbers of workers and professionals who believe themselves to be compassionate experts. But this boom has apparently stifled, not helped, the general care of human beings. The meaning of the adage about giving a man a fish vs. teaching him to fish seems to be completely lost on the greater population; they either don't understand why teaching a person to fish is better than giving them one, or they apparently interpret it as "people need to be taught how to fish because they're stupid", or they misinterpret it somehow that you shouldn't HELP others because they should be getting their own darn fish in the first place.
It is not EASIER now for a person to get supportive help or intensive therapy for a loved one, or for themselves, either from the medical community, authorities or government agencies, the educational community, nor from friends or family, it's more difficult than ever.
The simple fact that there are so many now who deem themselves "professionals" and "experts" in mental health, physical health, government and education fields that it's commonplace now to put one's image and career-goals ahead of doing the actual job, which is respecting and caring for the people in their charge, first and foremost. In other words, more people than ever are putting their own career goals and job security ahead of the well-being of, and respect for, their patients, clients, constituents, congregation, and students.
The cultural climate has shown some serious consequences on a large scale.
Psychiatric hospitals have been shut down.
There is marginal budgeting for any kind of mental health issues, from mild to severe.
Insurance companies are stingy about mental health visits, or refuse them altogether.
People acquire jobs in positions of AUTHORITY over others without having an understanding of human beings, emotional or mental health, or compassion, empathy, or general civility and respect for others.
"Professionals" no longer work TOGETHER.
Few parents work with other parents keeping the children in the community socialized with one another, teaching them social skills and manners, or setting good examples of how to treat other adults; many parents today are even disrespectful and competitive with EACH OTHER, never mind other parents in the community.
There is a culture of "US vs. THEM" in educational fields; teachers compete and argue about politics, even bringing it into the classroom, and teachers and parents in many communities no longer try to work together amicably.
Mental health is for some incredible, nonsensical reason seen as SEPARATE FROM physical health in both mainstream medicine and mainstream psychiatry.
People seem to have NO IDEA anymore about how a child's social circles, and the influences of family and community, directly affect a child's mental health.
There are thousands of "professionals" who received their degree or certification by working very hard and cramming to pass exams, but have little or no real life experience or understanding, nor genuine respect for patients. Some are even guided to believe that if a person shows up as a patient, that there must be something defective about them. Many are indoctrinated to "believe in" certain "schools of thought" about human psychology and to "believe in" methods of treatment, as if they're ministering religious beliefs instead of practicing science.
~(Many psych. and counseling students are told to gauge the patients level of "normalcy" by THEIR OWN idea of "normalcy", and that's how they determine the mental health of their patients, so chew on that for a few minutes...)
Being seen as a compassionate or scientific person does not mean that one is actually BEHAVING compassionately or scientifically, but those who need to understand this the most will be the last ones to comprehend it. There may be hope, however, for the future; many young people seem to see a lot of the holes in the "system", and perhaps will help repair and improve it so that Human Beings will be the priority of more future "professionals" instead of it being personal gain, and perhaps then people will learn once again how to cooperate and support one another.
However, when a person notices that someone in their family is showing signs of a mental illness or limitation, they are UNLIKELY to find that they can talk to others about it in a non-judgmental, calm or intelligent discussion, and they are UNLIKELY to receive unbiased, objective feedback, or any support.
There are only a couple of go-to diagnoses that both the medical community and people in general can seem to handle and be at least somewhat supportive and mature about, one of which is Alzheimer's, and another is ADHD. Other than that, many people both in and out of the medical, caregiver, and educational fields tend to be dismissive or judgmental toward those with any kind of mental/emotional issue, or about someone's loved one having an emotional or mental issue, or limitation.
Even PTSD sufferers are often treated dismissively, like they're "annoying" or burdensome, or faking it, even by their own doctors and therapists, never mind family or friends. So getting neutral or positive support regarding a friend or loved one's mental/emotional issue seems to now be just a memory of a better era, or a TV-fantasy. Talking to a person who is actually a compassionate, genuinely caring professional in one of these occupations often reveals deep frustration about the overall state of their field, and how they feel like their hands are tied, or like they have very little peer support.
Lack of recognition of disorders, illnesses, and cognitive issues is a reflection of the larger cultural problems. VERY FEW people now are able to discern one issue from another, because there is so little neutrality, calmness, and common civility to compare mental illness or limitations with. The "baseline" is being erased by an overwhelming increase in a culture of emotional reactivity.
The current culture lacks leadership regarding recognizing and dealing compassionately or objectively, without prejudice, with those who have a disorder or cognitive limitations. There is a lot of talk about being compassionate, and a lot of people think of themselves as compassionate toward others, and the medical, psychiatric, and educational fields are bursting to the seams with unprecedented numbers of workers and professionals who believe themselves to be compassionate experts. But this boom has apparently stifled, not helped, the general care of human beings. The meaning of the adage about giving a man a fish vs. teaching him to fish seems to be completely lost on the greater population; they either don't understand why teaching a person to fish is better than giving them one, or they apparently interpret it as "people need to be taught how to fish because they're stupid", or they misinterpret it somehow that you shouldn't HELP others because they should be getting their own darn fish in the first place.
It is not EASIER now for a person to get supportive help or intensive therapy for a loved one, or for themselves, either from the medical community, authorities or government agencies, the educational community, nor from friends or family, it's more difficult than ever.
The simple fact that there are so many now who deem themselves "professionals" and "experts" in mental health, physical health, government and education fields that it's commonplace now to put one's image and career-goals ahead of doing the actual job, which is respecting and caring for the people in their charge, first and foremost. In other words, more people than ever are putting their own career goals and job security ahead of the well-being of, and respect for, their patients, clients, constituents, congregation, and students.
The cultural climate has shown some serious consequences on a large scale.
Psychiatric hospitals have been shut down.
There is marginal budgeting for any kind of mental health issues, from mild to severe.
Insurance companies are stingy about mental health visits, or refuse them altogether.
People acquire jobs in positions of AUTHORITY over others without having an understanding of human beings, emotional or mental health, or compassion, empathy, or general civility and respect for others.
"Professionals" no longer work TOGETHER.
Few parents work with other parents keeping the children in the community socialized with one another, teaching them social skills and manners, or setting good examples of how to treat other adults; many parents today are even disrespectful and competitive with EACH OTHER, never mind other parents in the community.
There is a culture of "US vs. THEM" in educational fields; teachers compete and argue about politics, even bringing it into the classroom, and teachers and parents in many communities no longer try to work together amicably.
Mental health is for some incredible, nonsensical reason seen as SEPARATE FROM physical health in both mainstream medicine and mainstream psychiatry.
People seem to have NO IDEA anymore about how a child's social circles, and the influences of family and community, directly affect a child's mental health.
There are thousands of "professionals" who received their degree or certification by working very hard and cramming to pass exams, but have little or no real life experience or understanding, nor genuine respect for patients. Some are even guided to believe that if a person shows up as a patient, that there must be something defective about them. Many are indoctrinated to "believe in" certain "schools of thought" about human psychology and to "believe in" methods of treatment, as if they're ministering religious beliefs instead of practicing science.
~(Many psych. and counseling students are told to gauge the patients level of "normalcy" by THEIR OWN idea of "normalcy", and that's how they determine the mental health of their patients, so chew on that for a few minutes...)
Being seen as a compassionate or scientific person does not mean that one is actually BEHAVING compassionately or scientifically, but those who need to understand this the most will be the last ones to comprehend it. There may be hope, however, for the future; many young people seem to see a lot of the holes in the "system", and perhaps will help repair and improve it so that Human Beings will be the priority of more future "professionals" instead of it being personal gain, and perhaps then people will learn once again how to cooperate and support one another.
