I read this phrase in a book i was reading and it really stunned me. How could excessive self-hated be as malignant as excessive self-love? I guess in both cases, you're still over-involved with yourself. I do notice that when i was feeling well recently i was much more compassionate and empathic. Now that i'm feeling sh_tty again i lack those attitudes. Hmm... Has anyone else heard of narcissistic self-hatred? What do you think of this term? What's your explanation of it?

[~Christina]

I deal with self loathing a lot. I don’t have the opposite side of that coin tho.

Hope your able to feel better soon

Being narcissistic doesn't seem to necessarily go with high self-esteem -- of the healthy sort we tend to think of anyway.) (I know one.) Narcissism is often cover for people with very fragile egos. It's a malignant way of "protecting" one's image. Which is why one tends to get blasted with narcissistic rage calling the narcissist out -- seeing behind the curtain. They don't like that.

Hope that makes sense.

[Wander]

It sounds reasonable in light of the DSM V's criteria for NPD. However, this does not mean that all people who experience self-loathing are true Narcissists as other traits have to be shown, like total lack of empathy for others. So the label Narcissistic self loathing does not apply to you.

Originally Posted by Wander

However, this does not mean that all people who experience self-loathing are true Narcissists as other traits have to be shown, like total lack of empathy for others.

So true.

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by whatever2013

you're still over-involved with yourself.

This is the right term - self-involved. A self-involved person may not have the time, bandwidth and mental energy at the moment to feel empathy for others, just as a poor person does not have spare resources for philanthropy, but it dos not mean that the self-involved person, if relieved of his or her suffering, would display callous disregard for the suffering of others the way narcissists do.