Being the center of attention and praise by many people can make a person feel happy. However, when a person feels like a star who is adored but is not, this indicates symptoms of the mental health disorder star syndrome.
What is star syndrome?
The term star syndrome is often used to refer to someone who feels superior to others or feels they are someone who needs to be treated like a star. Although this condition is not an official term in the DSM-5, it can lead to symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder, which is a mental disorder.
This condition is usually characterized by someone feeling that they are the best, most beautiful and happy when they are the center of attention even though they are not.
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Signs of narcissistic personality disorder
The closest mental health issue to star syndrome is narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition that affects how you view yourself and others. People who have narcissistic personality disorder feel the need to impress themselves or feel important. This desire or need can drive a person to engage in malicious behavior that negatively affects those around them.
The term narcissistic personality disorder comes from the Greek mythological character Narcissus, who was so obsessed with himself that he would not stop adoring himself. Although the term narcissistic tends to relate to physical appearance, it can include other traits or abilities that a person possesses, such as intelligence, wealth, charisma, artistic skills, and others.
Some signs that someone has narcissistic personality disorder are as follows:
- Self-centeredness.
This can be seen in everyday speech, where they exaggerate their abilities or hold themselves to too high a standard. People with narcissistic disorders also tend to overestimate, exaggerate, or even brag about their achievements. - Often, they fantasize about having advantages such as success, power, beauty, and popularity over others.
People with narcissistic disorders also think they are special and deserve special treatment. Sometimes, they also believe that they need to be admired by others. - Needs validation from others.
Although they always seem superior to others, they have fragile self-esteem. They often doubt themselves, criticize themselves, and feel empty. - Exploiting others.
Because they feel superior to others, people with narcissistic disorders feel the need to belittle, capitalize, or exploit others. Sometimes, they don't hesitate to blend in with others to boost their self-esteem deliberately. - Lack of empathy.
People with narcissistic disorder usually have a low sense of empathy, making it easy to say or do things that hurt others. Sometimes, they can also belittle others. They also often act selfishly with only their interests in mind. - Easily feel envious.
Frequent envy and dislike of other people's achievements can also indicate that someone has star syndrome. They often underestimate other people's achievements and consider them unimportant.
The signs of star syndrome in each person can vary, depending on environmental factors and one's condition. It is also often unrecognized by the person with the narcissistic disorder. If you know someone who has this disorder or has symptoms of this condition, you can recommend them to talk to a psychologist about the condition they are experiencing. You can also use the consultation feature on the Ai Care application to get various health information.
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- dr. Monica Salim