Weekly Insight: Do Narcissists Seek Therapy?

In this weekly insight, Dr. Ettensohn addresses the common misconception that individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) never seek therapy—and the even more misleading idea that simply wondering whether you have NPD means that you don’t.

This episode explores the origins of these myths, explaining how they stem from a misunderstanding of personality disorders and the role of insight. While NPD often involves rigid, maladaptive patterns of thinking and an egosyntonic sense of grandiosity, it also frequently includes periodic self-esteem collapses, during which individuals experience deep distress, depression, and anxiety. It is in these moments that many people with NPD seek therapy—contrary to the popular belief that they never do.

Dr. Ettensohn discusses how online narratives about NPD have distorted public understanding of the disorder, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that discourage those who need help from reaching out. Drawing from clinical experience and current research, he provides a more nuanced and accurate view of why individuals with NPD do, in fact, pursue treatment.