Megalomania the signs to know to spot a megalomaniac personality

 Megalomania the signs to know to spot a megalomaniac personality

Megalomania is a feeling of excessive superiority. It is characterized by an overestimation of oneself and of one's abilities. But what are the origins of this disorder? How does it manifest itself? Psychologist Maïté Tranzer explains how to spot a megalomaniac person.

During our lifetime, we meet many people with different character traits. Some are outgoing, more reserved or even generous. Others are manipulative, pretentious or narcissistic. It may also happen that you meet a haughty, self-confident individual who feels superior and believes himself to be more beautiful, smarter, more talented and more important than others. When a person behaves in this way, it can mean that they have megalomania.

Megalomaniac personality: what is megalomania?

Megalomania is a psychological condition. According to psychologist Maïté Tranzer, this state is expressed by a more or less pronounced overestimation of oneself, a delirium of grandeur, a feeling of omnipotence and a desire for glory. "Megalomaniacs want at all costs to be admired and put forward. They want to reap all the laurels," she adds.

According to the specialist, this is a defense mechanism. "You fight against your own psyche. The self-esteem of people with megalomania depends on others," she continues. In this case, megalomania corresponds to a personality trait.

The psychologist points out that megalomania can also be pathological and resemble a manic disorder. In this situation, it corresponds to a symptom of mental illness. In both cases, that is, whether it is a character trait or a sign of a pathology, megalomania can become bothersome on a daily basis and difficult for those close to the megalomaniac to bear.

Megalomania: what are the causes?

The origins of megalomania are multiple. She can be in touch with the parents. “During their childhood, some megalomaniacs were king children. Their parents, for example, had a tendency to let all their nonsense go by or to give in to their whims. When they become adults, they no longer feel valued and do not receive more. this certain recognition on the part of their parents. They thus do everything to regain this state during their meetings and their relations with other individuals ", develops Maïté Tranzer.

The specialist explains that megalomania can also arise from taking drugs. People who doubt, have low self-esteem, lack empathy and lack self-confidence are also more likely to become megalomaniacs. This disorder can also be caused by emotional shock that has been poorly handled. When it comes to "delusional" or pathological megalomania, it may be associated with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or depressive disorder.

What are the symptoms of megalomania?

Megalomaniac people tend to overvalue themselves and devalue others. They are always looking for compliments and fame. These individuals never question themselves and never take the risk of denigrating themselves. They talk all the time about themselves and their extraordinary abilities because they want to be the center of attention all the time. Megalomania is also manifested by being haughty and arrogant.

How to treat megalomania?

"Megalomaniacs have to work on their perception of themselves, which is wrong, and that of others. A psychologist can help them to do this. Problem: in general, these people do not want to consult a specialist", specifies the psychologist . Maïté Tranzer therefore advises those around them to help them become aware of certain functions. For this, it is, for example, possible to point the finger at certain behaviors of these individuals suffering from megalomania and to explain to them what does not please us. "Psychotherapy can also be recommended to treat this disorder," says the specialist.