Many experts think that pathological narcissism is a type of depression. This is what the well-known magazine "Psychology Today" says. The life of a typical narcissist is filled with bouts of dysphoria (constant sadness and hopelessness), anhedonia (loss of the ability to feel pleasure), and clinical forms of depression (cyclothymic, dysthymic, or other). This picture is made even less clear by the fact that mood disorders like Bipolar I are so common (co-morbidity).
Even though the difference between reactive (exogenous) depression and endogenous depression isn't as important as it used to be, it is still useful when talking about narcissism. Narcissists get depressed not only when something bad happens in their lives, but also when their Narcissistic Supply goes up and down.
The narcissist's personality is all over the place and barely stays in place. He controls how he feels about himself by getting Narcissistic Supply from other people. Any threat to the steady flow of this supply hurts his mental health and makes it hard for him to work. It seems like a threat to the narcissist's life.
I. Sadness Caused by Loss
This is how a narcissist feels when he or she loses one or more sources of narcissistic supply or when a pathologically narcissistic space falls apart (PN Space, his stalking or hunting grounds, the social unit whose members lavish him with attention).
II. Depression Caused by Lack
When Supply Sources or a PN Space are lost, the person goes into a deep and severe depression. After being sad about these losses, the narcissist now feels sad about their inevitable result: the lack of Narcissistic Supply. In a strange way, this sadness gives the narcissist energy and makes him want to find new sources of supply to replace his worn-out stock (thus initiating a Narcissistic Cycle).
III. Dysregulation of self-worth and dysphoria
The narcissist gets depressed when someone they trust and have known for a long time criticises or disagrees with them. He worries that the source will be taken away soon and that it will hurt his fragile mental health. The narcissist also doesn't like how weak he is and how much he needs feedback from others. So, this kind of depression is a form of self-directed aggression that has changed.
Grandiosity Gap Dysphoria (IV)
The narcissist strongly, but wrongly, thinks of himself as all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere, brilliant, accomplished, irresistible, immune, and unbeatable. Any data that says otherwise is usually filtered, changed, or thrown away. Still, sometimes the truth gets in the way and makes a Grandiosity Gap. The narcissist has to face his own death, his limitations, his lack of knowledge, and the fact that he is not the best. He pouts and falls into a short-lived, crippling dysphoria.
V. Dysphoria from hurting yourself
Deep down, the narcissist dislikes and doubts himself. He feels terrible about his desperate need for Narcissistic Supply. He has a harsh and sadistic view of his actions and intentions. He might not be aware of these things, but they are at the heart of narcissistic disorder and the reason why the narcissist had to use narcissism as a defence mechanism in the first place.
This never-ending source of anger, self-criticism, self-doubt, and self-aggression leads to many self-defeating and self-destructive behaviours, such as reckless driving, drug use, suicidal thoughts, and constant depression.
The narcissist's ability to lie to himself is what keeps him from killing himself. His big dreams take him away from reality and keep him from hurting himself over and over again. Many narcissists become crazy, schizophrenic, or paranoid. So they don't have to worry and feel sad, they give up on life itself.
