Member-only story
The Fine Line Between Emotional Unavailability and Narcissism
Intent and context matter.
It sounds like an oxymoron, but it can happen. You might have met someone new, where you were left wondering if the person on the other end was anxious (understandable, given the usual dating jitters), emotionally guarded, or even narcissistic.
Yes, I know this word gets overused a lot. Fret not, for I’m a licensed psychotherapist, where I’ve worked with people across many presenting circumstances, including those who:
· Worry they could be secretly narcissistic
· Openly admit to having some narcissistic tendencies (in specific scenarios and dynamics)
· Have had formal diagnoses of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (and wish they could feel empathy on the same level as most others do)
· Have been the recipient of someone who is narcissistic
I’m not by any means an expert. I’m just putting my two cents here, as I’ve noticed a theme across various discussions (with other clinicians and clients) which got me thinking: on the surface, emotional unavailability and narcissism may look similarly.
Both involve people who seem distant, reactive, avoidant, confusing, and mysterious. Both involve the other recipient feeling…
