Posts in category: Dating Tips, Guide and Advice

Antidepressant fatigue happens when medications used to treat depression, like SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, and NDRIs, make you feel tired. Given that depression itself can make you feel exhausted, it can be frustrating to find that the medication you’re taking to treat it isn’t helping your fatigue.

Antidepressants affect certain neurotransmitters that can cause fatigue and other unpleasant side effects. The good news is that you may still be able to take your antidepressant without constantly feeling like you need a nap.

What Is Antidepressant Fatigue?

Depression can be exhausting. Fatigue is a common symptom of this condition, but it turns out that it can be a side effect of the treatment as well. Antidepressants can be an important part of a treatment plan, but it’s important to recognize that they can also leave you feeling tired or sleepy.

Luckily, many of the side effects of antidepressants tend to subside as your body adjusts to the medication. Until that happens, however, it can be helpful to know what to expect and how to handle the feelings of fatigue that you might experience.

Whether you’re taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) such as Prozac (fluoxetine) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) such as Cymbalta (duloxetine), you may notice your energy levels feel much lower than usual.

Which Antidepressants Cause Fatigue?

Fatigue is a common side effect of an older class of antidepressants known as tricyclic antidepressants. They include:

• Asendin (amoxapine)
• Elavil (amitriptyline)
• Norpramin (desipramine)
• Tofranil (imipramine)

However, doctors don’t often prescribe tricyclic antidepressants due to their other side effects, which include disorientation or confusion, increased heart rate, and the increased risk of seizures in people who already have seizures.

But, even the newer classes of antidepressants—including SSRIs and SNRIs—often cause fatigue. Some of the major SSRIs that cause fatigue include:

• Aropax, Brisdelle, Paxil (paroxetine)
• Celexa (citalopram)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Remeron (mirtazapine)
• Zoloft (sertraline)

Some of the major SNRIs that cause fatigue include:

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are another type of antidepressant. While they’re generally not the first to be prescribed (as newer classes of medications generally produce fewer side effects), a doctor may prescribe an MAOI if other antidepressants aren’t working.

MAOIs that may cause fatigue include:

• Emsam (selegiline)
• Marplan (isocarboxazid)
• Nardil (phenelzine)
• Parnate (tranylcypromine)

Wellbutrin (bupropion) is another type of antidepressant known as a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). Wellbutrin may also cause fatigue.

Why Antidepressants Make You Tired

Certain antidepressants work by acting on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters—in particular norepinephrine and serotonin—causing them to linger in the spaces between nerve cells where they carry out their job of regulating mood.

At the same time, these medications affect other neurotransmitters, including histamine and acetylcholine, sometimes leading to unpleasant side effects such as dry mouth, blurry vision, weight gain, and sedation.

It’s that last side effect—sedation—that may be responsible for the fatigue you experience when you take an antidepressant.

What to Avoid If Your Antidepressant Causes Fatigue

If you’re truly fighting to keep your eyes open, there are some important things to avoid doing. Excessive daytime fatigue can be dangerous if you don’t take precautions.

Steer clear of alcohol and any medications that also tend to be sedating. The combo of either with your antidepressant could make your fatigue worse.

How to Cope With Antidepressant Fatigue

You may be tempted to give in to exhaustion and set up camp on your couch, but there are other things you can do if your antidepressant is wiping you out. Here are some possibilities.

• Practice good sleep hygiene: Research suggests that having good sleep hygiene plays a big role in combating fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness. This means not napping during the day if you can help it (so that you’re tired at night and ready for a whole night’s rest), and avoiding electronic devices a couple of hours before bed.
• Nap when needed: Of course, if you’re extremely tired, you may find it beneficial to take a quick nap. The National Sleep Foundation advises that the optimal length of a nap for adults is about 20 minutes and no more than 30 minutes (Napping too long may make you groggier).
• Exercise: Get some exercise. It sounds counterintuitive—how could moving possibly be helpful when it’s the last thing you feel like doing? Research has shown that light to moderate exercise may help reduce fatigue and increase energy levels. When fatigued, try going for a walk around your neighborhood or doing a low-impact activity like yoga or swimming.
• Take medications at night: You may be able to use fatigue to your advantage by taking your antidepressant at night. First, check with a doctor to be sure that it’s OK for you to take your medication at night; but, taking it at night may help you fall asleep more easily—you’ll get the rest you need to feel more alert during waking hours.
• Give it time: Typically, fatigue from antidepressants lasts for a few weeks after you start taking the medication. For most people, the side effects of antidepressants wear off as their bodies become adjusted to the medication.

A doctor will likely have you check back in with them after the first few weeks of taking the antidepressant to see if the fatigue continues. If it does, a doctor can formulate a solution for your excessive fatigue—either by changing your dosage or changing your prescription altogether.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

It’s best to report any side effects of antidepressants that you’re experiencing to your prescriber right away. They may tell you to check in after two to three weeks to see if the fatigue you’re experiencing has reduced.

If your fatigue hasn’t improved after a few weeks, they may lessen your dosage or prescribe a slower-release preparation of antidepressant.

Or, they may have you try a different antidepressant altogether. Because there is no one-size-fits-all antidepressant, it may take some trial and error before you are able to find a medication and dosage that work best.

In some cases, the provider may supplement your medication with a second drug that’s stimulating, such as Provigil (modafinil). However, there are additional side effects linked with stimulant use that include:

• Diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Eye pain
• Gas
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle shaking
• Nausea
• Nosebleeds
• Sleep problems

More serious side effects of Provigil include rash, blisters, mouth sores, hives, difficulty breathing, frenzied mood, chest pain, hallucinations, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Be sure to contact your prescriber if you experience these or any other side effects.

Safety Notes to Keep In Mind

Because antidepressants and stimulants increase serotonin levels, in rare cases, taking both types of medications together may result in serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include:

• Agitation
• Restlessness
• Hyperthermia
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tremors
• Muscle rigidity

Most cases of serotonin syndrome are successfully treated by discontinuing the medications causing the illness. Benzodiazepines are sometimes used to treat symptoms like tremors. Cyproheptadine may also be used as an antidote.

You’re not alone if you find the side effects of antidepressants frustrating to deal with. But remember to always consult with your prescriber before making any changes to your current dosage. Under their supervision, you may try out different dosages, medications, and sometimes, combinations of medications to alleviate your symptoms.

Stopping Lexapro can lead to withdrawal symptoms. For patients who’ve decided (with their healthcare provider) to come off this medication, the quitting process can be difficult. Common symptoms of Lexapro withdrawal include dizziness, muscle tension, chills, crying, and brain fog. Knowing what to expect in terms of the timeline can help you wean off Lexapro with as few withdrawal symptoms as possible.

What to Know About Lexapro Withdrawal

Lexapro (escitalopram) is in a category of drugs that have long been associated with withdrawal symptoms after stopping their use. While physicians refer to these symptoms as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, many believe that this name minimizes the seriousness of the effects experienced. 

Lexapro is a prescription medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. It belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. One survey found that just over 13% of adult Americans report taking an antidepressant medication in the last month. For one in four people taking this type of drug, they’ve been doing so for 10 years or longer.

Why Stopping Lexapro Causes Withdrawal

SSRIs affect levels of serotonin, a type of mood-regulating neurotransmitter in the brain. When a person stops taking them, it takes their brain a while to get used to the drug’s absence, resulting in Lexapro’s withdrawal.

SSRIs take time to effect changes in the brain; that’s why people typically don’t notice a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety for a few weeks after starting them. Likewise, abruptly stopping a medication doesn’t give the brain enough time to adjust to the sudden change.

Common Lexapro Withdrawal Symptoms

Different SSRI medications may affect the brain in somewhat different ways. People who experience withdrawal symptoms can expect those symptoms to range from mild to severe. On a range of lowest to highest chance of severe withdrawal symptoms, Lexapro sits around the middle.

Some research showed that, on average, about 46% of people experiencing SSRI withdrawal symptoms described them as severe. Severe symptoms indicate that withdrawal can potentially interfere with one’s ability to meet responsibilities at home and work. 

Most Common Symptoms

According to one study, the most common symptoms of Lexapro withdrawal—occurring in more than one in four people—are:

• Dizziness
• Muscle tension 
• Chills
• Confusion
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble remembering things
• Crying

Dizziness, muscle tension, and chills each affected about 44% of people discontinuing Lexapro. Many people also experience confusion and difficulty concentrating.

Less Common Symptoms

Lexapro withdrawal can be difficult, both physically and emotionally. The following are other symptoms associated with SSRI withdrawal:

• Changes in motor control: Tremors, muscle tension, restless legs, unsteady gait, or difficulty controlling speech and chewing movements
• Digestive issues: Nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, or appetite loss
• Flu-like symptoms: Headache, muscle pain, weakness, and tiredness
• Instability: Dizziness, lightheadedness, or difficulty walking
• Mood changes: Anxiety, agitation, panic, suicidal ideation, depression, irritability, anger, or mood swings
• Sleep problems: Nightmares, unusual dreams, excessive/vivid dreams, or insomnia
• Unusual sensations: Brain zaps (like an electrical shock or shiver in the brain), pins and needles, ringing in the ears, strange tastes, or hypersensitivity to sound

How to Cope With Lexapro Withdrawal

The best way to find relief from Lexapro withdrawal is to avoid it altogether. Quitting cold turkey may increase the likelihood of severe withdrawal. Instead, schedule an appointment with the prescribing physician to discuss a strategy to get off of medication as safely as possible.

In addition to efforts to avoid discontinuation or withdrawal symptoms coming off of Lexapro, there needs to be a consideration for the continued treatment of any underlying depression or anxiety symptoms. Your doctor may want to transition you to another antidepressant medication or other medications if appropriate. Here are a few additional options that can help reduce or ease Lexapro withdrawal.

Taper Off Medication Slowly

The most effective way to minimize symptoms of withdrawal is to slowly taper off the medication. Tapering involves adjusting the dose by small amounts, gradually decreasing it so the body gets used to lower levels of the medication. The prescribing physician can create a dosing schedule and carefully monitor the process to avoid severe symptoms.

Practice Good Self-Care

Taking good care of your health as you stop taking Lexapro can also help to better manage any withdrawal symptoms that you experience. Some steps you can take include:

• Eating a healthy and nutritious diet
• Following their physician’s tapering recommendations
• Getting plenty of rest
• Getting regular exercise
• Getting support from family, friends, or support groups

Important Safety Considerations

When a person stops or reduces their dose of Lexapro, there is a risk that they may begin to feel suicidal. Large-scale research studies have found a clear association between the discontinuation of antidepressants and suicide attempts.

If you or someone you love shows any of the following signs or symptoms after stopping Lexapro, get help right away:

• Becoming preoccupied with death, dying, or violence
• Engaging in risky or self-destructive activities, such as driving drunk
• Feeling hopeless or trapped
• Gathering the means to commit suicide, such as bullets or pills
• Getting affairs in order or giving away belongings
• Having intense mood swings
• Planning how to commit suicide if you/they were going to do it
• Saying goodbye to people as if it were the last time 
• Talking or thinking about suicide more than normal, for example, “I wish I were dead”

Options for Long-Term Depression Treatment

Over 50% of people who recover from depression will have more depressive episodes in their lifetime. If Lexapro doesn’t help or is stopped because of unwanted side effects, it’s important to develop a long-term plan to manage your depression or anxiety. This may include:

• Trying different antidepressants or other combinations of medications
• Psychotherapy
• Lifestyle modifications

Talk therapy is an effective treatment for certain types of depression and anxiety. Finding the right therapist requires taking the time to locate one with whom you are comfortable working. This may involve trying out a few different therapists before finding the right fit.  

Where to Find More Help

If your current mental health treatment isn’t adequately helping, consider seeking consultation or finding a new psychiatrist or therapist. You can start by checking your health insurance provider’s list of providers to find out who accepts your plan in your area.

In addition to physicians and mental health professionals, many online resources can offer support during Lexapro withdrawal. Support groups can be a helpful source of information and peer support during recovery.

Social learning theory explains how people learn by watching others and noticing the outcomes of their actions. It focuses on how we pick up new behaviors and information through observation, imitation, and social cues, not just through direct experience. This framework can help us understand why rewarded behaviors spread in groups and why people often model behavior on what they see in everyday life and in the media.

What Is Social Learning Theory?

Social learning theory, introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura, suggests that much learning occurs through observation. Instead of relying only on direct experience or trial-and-error, we watch what other people do, notice the outcomes, and use that information to guide our own actions.

This process accounts for the interactions between environmental influences (what we see) and cognitive factors (what we think, remember, and expect) that affect how people learn.

Bandura emphasized that learning is influenced by key factors, including:

• Attention (noticing the behavior)
• Retention (remembering what we saw)
• Reproduction (being able to imitate it)
• Motivation (wanting to reproduce the behavior due to rewards or consequences)

According to this framework, behaviors that we see being rewarded, either in real life or in the media, become more likely to be learned and repeated. Those that result in negative or undesirable outcomes are less likely to be copied.

This distinguishes social learning theory from behavioral theories, which suggest that all behaviors are learned through conditioning, and cognitive theories, which consider psychological influences such as attention and memory.

How Bandura Developed His Theory

During the first half of the 20th century, the behavioral school of psychology became a dominant force. The behaviorists proposed that all learning was a result of direct experience with the environment through the processes of association and reinforcement. Bandura believed that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning.

For example, children and adults often learn things with which they have no direct experience. Even if you have never swung a baseball bat in your life, you would probably know what to do if someone handed you a bat and told you to try to hit a baseball. This is because you have seen others perform this action either in person or on television. 

His theory added a social element, arguing that people can learn new information and behaviors by watching other people. Known as observational learning, this type of learning can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors, including those that often cannot be accounted for by other learning theories.

Key Components of Social Learning

There are three core concepts at the heart of social learning theory:

1. People learn by observing others.
2. Internal mental states influence this process.
3. Not all learning leads to changes in behavior.

People Can Learn Through Observation

One of the best-known experiments in the history of psychology involved a doll named Bobo. Bandura demonstrated that children learn and imitate behaviors they have observed in other people.

The children in Bandura’s studies observed an adult acting violently toward a Bobo doll. When the children were later allowed to play in a room with the Bobo doll, they began to imitate the aggressive actions they had previously observed.

As you can see, observational learning does not even necessarily require watching another person to engage in an activity. Hearing verbal instructions, such as listening to a podcast, can lead to learning. We can also learn by reading, hearing, or watching the actions of characters in books and films.

It is this type of observational learning that has become a lightning rod for controversy as parents and psychologists debate the impact that pop culture media has on kids. Many worry that kids can learn bad behaviors such as aggression from violent video games, movies, television programs, and online videos.

Mental States Are Important to Learning

Bandura noted that external reinforcement was not the only factor influencing learning and behavior. He also realized that reinforcement does not always come from outside sources.

He described intrinsic reinforcement as a form of internal rewards, such as pride, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment. This emphasis on internal thoughts and cognitions helps connect learning theories to cognitive developmental theories. While many textbooks place social learning theory with behavioral theories, Bandura himself describes his approach as a ‘social cognitive theory.’

Learning Does Not Necessarily Lead to Change

So, how do we determine when something has been learned? In many cases, learning can be seen immediately when the new behavior is displayed. For example, when you teach a child to ride a bicycle, you can quickly determine if learning has occurred by having the child ride his or her bike unassisted.

But sometimes we can learn things even when that learning might not be immediately obvious. While behaviorists believed that learning led to a permanent change in behavior, observational learning demonstrates that people can learn new information without demonstrating new behaviors.

What Makes Social Learning Effective?

It is important to note that not all observed behaviors are effectively learned. Why not? Factors in both the model and the learner can influence whether social learning is successful. Specific requirements and steps must also be followed.

The following steps are involved in the observational learning and modeling process:

• Attention: To learn, you need to pay attention. Anything that distracts your attention will hurt observational learning. If the model is interesting or the situation has a novel aspect, you are far more likely to devote your full attention.
• Retention: The ability to store information is also an essential part of the learning process. Retention can be affected by several factors, but the ability to pull up information later and act on it is vital to observational learning.
• Reproduction: Once you have paid attention to the model and retained the information, it is time to actually perform the behavior you observed. Further practice of the learned behavior leads to improvement and skill advancement.
• Motivation: For observational learning to be successful, you have to be motivated to imitate the modeled behavior. 

Reinforcement and punishment play an important role in motivation. While experiencing these motivators can be highly effective, so can observing others experience reinforcement or punishment. For example, if you see another student rewarded with extra credit for being to class on time, you might start to show up a few minutes early each day.

How We Use Social Learning in Everyday Life

• Understanding aggression: It can help researchers understand how aggression and violence might be transmitted through observational learning. By studying media violence, researchers can gain a better understanding of the factors that might lead children to act out the aggressive actions they see portrayed on television and in the movies.
• Teaching positive behaviors: Social learning can also be utilized to teach people positive behaviors. Researchers can use social learning theory to investigate how positive role models can encourage desirable behaviors and facilitate social change.
• Improving classroom learning: Teachers can help students by modeling behaviors like problem-solving and reading strategies. Techniques that rely on observation, such as collaborative learning, guided practice, and peer modeling, are all rooted in social learning theory.
• Reducing anxiety: Watching others face feared situations might help people who are dealing with anxiety or phobias gradually become less fearful.

In addition to influencing other psychologists, Bandura’s social learning theory has had important implications in the field of education. Today, both teachers and parents recognize how important it is to model appropriate behaviors. Other classroom strategies, such as encouraging children and building self-efficacy, are also rooted in social learning theory.

As Bandura observed, life would be difficult and even dangerous if you had to learn everything you know from personal experience. Observing others plays a vital role in acquiring new knowledge and skills. By understanding how social learning theory works, you can gain a greater appreciation for the powerful role that observation plays in shaping the things we know and the things we do.

A vulnerable narcissist is a person who has all the classic traits of a narcissist but hides them beneath insecurity, hypersensitivity, and a need for constant reassurance. Instead of being grandiose and bold, they typically come across as anxious, easily hurt, and defensive. Understanding the signs of a vulnerable narcissist can help you recognize them when they appear in relationships

How to Spot a Vulnerable Narcissist

Although harboring a grandiose sense of self-importance, entitlement, and need for admiration, a type of narcissism known as vulnerable narcissism is also characterized by feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, and hypersensitivity to criticism.

Vulnerable narcissists tend to be:

People with this type of narcissism tend to be more vulnerable to rejection and have difficulty forming meaningful relationships. They may also become easily overwhelmed and have difficulty dealing with stress. Vulnerable narcissism is also known as covert narcissism.

“A vulnerable narcissist describes someone who is hypersensitive to rejection and extremely self-conscious. They tend to be insecure, as well. They become angry or offended when not put on a pedestal,” Jay Serle, LMFT, PhD, notes. “A person with vulnerable narcissism is highly sensitive to criticism.”

Signs Someone Might Be a Vulnerable Narcissist

While it is impossible to diagnose someone with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) without a professional evaluation, there are signs that may indicate you are dealing with a person with vulnerable narcissism.

Below are 12 signs of a vulnerable narcissist.

1. Difficulty handling criticism: People who suffer from narcissistic vulnerability often have difficulty accepting criticism, even when it is constructive. They may become defensive or aggressive when faced with any kind of feedback.
2. Need for constant praise: Those who are vulnerable narcissists often require an excessive amount of attention and validation from others in order to feel good about themselves. This need for excessive external validation can lead to feelings of insecurity and anxiety if they don’t receive the attention they crave.
3. Unclear sense of self: People with narcissistic vulnerability often struggle to identify their own emotions and needs. This lack of clarity about their own identity can lead to feelings of confusion and emptiness that can be difficult to overcome.
4. Manipulative tendencies: Those who live with narcissistic vulnerability may frequently use manipulation as a way to get what they want out of situations. They may attempt to manipulate people into giving them what they want by using guilt or shame as leverage.
5. Inability to empathize: A common trait among vulnerable narcissists is an inability (or unwillingness) to put themselves in another person’s shoes and understand how their actions might affect someone else emotionally or mentally.
6. Difficulty forming relationships: Because vulnerable narcissists tend to focus too much on themselves, they often find it challenging to form meaningful connections with other people. This inability to connect with others can leave them feeling isolated, lonely, and misunderstood.
7. Controlling behavior: Individuals living with narcissistic vulnerability may try desperately hard to control every aspect of their lives, including other people’s lives. They may attempt to micromanage everything from conversations and decisions to activities.
8. Jealousy and envy: Vulnerable narcissists often feel jealous or envious of those around them. This can lead to negative comparisons and overly competitive behavior that may make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships.
9. Difficulty trusting others: Vulnerable narcissists often have trouble trusting people, even those who are closest to them. They may be suspicious of others’ motives, leading them to keep people at a distance to protect themselves from potential hurt. These feelings of mistrust can prevent them from forming meaningful connections with others.
10. Projecting blame onto others: When things don’t go their way, those with narcissistic vulnerability may resort to blaming everyone else rather than looking within themselves for explanations as to why things didn’t turn out the way they wanted.
11. Poor boundaries: Individuals with this vulnerability can have difficulty setting healthy boundaries between themselves and other people. This inability leads them into situations where their needs are not taken into account or respected, which can lead to resentment and conflict over time.  
12. Fear of abandonment: People with this personality vulnerability may struggle with a deep fear of abandonment. They may cling to people too tightly or become overly possessive to prevent others from leaving them. This kind of behavior can be very damaging and hard to break out of without proper help.

What Causes Someone to Be a Vulnerable Narcissist?

Experts are not 100% sure what causes someone to become a vulnerable narcissist, but it is likely influenced by multiple factors, including:

• Child maltreatment and neglect
• Genetic factors
• Biological differences
• Environmental variables
• Parenting style

Parent-child interactions that involve too much unrealistic adoration and not enough validation that matches the child’s actual lived experience. Other childhood, environmental, and cultural contributions can also be involved.

This can lead to an increased focus on themselves and their own needs in adulthood as a way to try to make up for what they did not receive in childhood.

Researchers suggest that vulnerable narcissism is associated with:

• Less optimism
• Lower future orientation
• Reduced sense of agency
• Fewer strivings for personal growth

How to Deal With a Vulnerable Narcissist

It can be challenging to cope with someone who lives with narcissistic vulnerability, but it is not impossible. The key is to set and maintain healthy boundaries while empathizing with the individual’s struggles.

“While fragile narcissists try to avoid direct confrontation at all costs, they are big fans of passive-aggressive put-downs, especially when they are feeling threatened. They’ll keep denying it if you call them out on it,” says Katie Adams, Qualified Trainer, Mental Health First Aid Trainer & Psychologist at Skills Training Group.

Here are some other tips for dealing with a vulnerable narcissist in your life:

• Take time for yourself: Set aside regular “me time” to focus on yourself, do things you enjoy, take care of your needs and wants, etc. This will give you a break from the draining energy of a vulnerable narcissist and help you stay focused on taking care of your own mental health first.
• Communicate calmly: If there is an issue between you and a vulnerable narcissist, try to communicate as calmly and objectively as possible. Explain how their behavior is making you feel, and try to be open to listening to their perspective if they are willing to talk it out.
• Set boundaries: Make sure to set and enforce boundaries that are healthy for you. This may mean setting limits on how much time you spend with them, turning down specific requests or invitations, etc. It’s important to remember that it is okay to prioritize your own needs first when dealing with a vulnerable narcissist.
• Seek professional help: If the situation feels too overwhelming or if your attempts at communication with the narcissist aren’t successful, seeking outside help from a mental health professional can be beneficial for both parties involved. A therapist can offer insight into why a person is behaving in a certain way and provide strategies for coping and healthy communication.

Vulnerable Narcissism vs. Other Types of Narcissism

It’s important to note that vulnerable narcissism is different from other types of narcissism, such as grandiose or malignant narcissism. While vulnerable narcissists may still feel a sense of entitlement and superiority, their behavior is usually not malicious, as it would be with grandiose or malignant narcissism.

With the appropriate help and motivation, those living with vulnerable narcissism can learn how to better identify their own needs while also respecting the needs of those around them so that all involved feel safe, heard, valued, and understood.

Can a Vulnerable Narcissist Love?

Yes, a vulnerable narcissist can love, but it may be difficult for them to express their feelings in a healthy way. They may struggle with intimacy and intimacy-related issues such as trust and vulnerability due to their past experiences, but if they are willing to work on these things with a mental health professional, they can learn how to form meaningful connections with others.

Do Vulnerable Narcissists Have Empathy?

Yes, a vulnerable narcissist can have empathy, but they can often struggle to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and be understanding of others’ perspectives. Particularly when their sense of self-esteem feels threatened. But again, with the help of a therapist, they can work on developing their empathy.

Freud’s id, ego, and superego are three parts of the mind that he believed shape how we think, feel, and act. The id drives our basic impulses, the ego deals with reality, and the superego guides us to act morally. While the theory isn’t fully accepted by modern psychology, it can be a helpful way to think about how to balance your wants and values in realistic ways.

Freud’s Theory of the Id, Ego, and Superego

According to Sigmund Freud, human personality is complex and has more than a single component. In his famous psychoanalytic theory, Freud states that personality is composed of three elements:

• The id
• The ego
• The superego

These elements work together to create complex human behaviors.

“The id is considered the basis of sexual and aggressive energy and is largely held in the unconscious, emerging as illogical or wishful thinking,” explains Shannon Sauer-Zavala, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. “The superego is one’s conscience and is established via identification with parental figures or social groups at large.” 

Each component adds its own unique contribution to personality, and the three interact in ways that have a powerful influence on an individual. Each element of personality emerges at different points in life.

What the Id Wants

According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.

• The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth.
• This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes instinctive and primitive behaviors.

The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for the immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state of anxiety or tension. For example, an increase in hunger or thirst should produce an immediate attempt to eat or drink.

The id is very important early in life because it ensures that an infant’s needs are met. If the infant is hungry or uncomfortable, they will cry until the demands of the id are satisfied. Young infants are ruled entirely by the id; there is no reasoning with them when these needs demand satisfaction.

Examples of the Id

Imagine trying to convince a baby to wait until lunchtime to eat their meal. The id requires immediate satisfaction, and because the other components of personality are not yet present, the infant will cry until these needs are fulfilled.

However, immediately fulfilling these needs is not always realistic or even possible. If we were ruled entirely by the pleasure principle, we might find ourselves grabbing the things that we want out of other people’s hands to satisfy our cravings.

This behavior would be both disruptive and socially unacceptable. According to Freud, the id tries to resolve the tension created by the pleasure principle through the use of primary process thinking, which involves forming a mental image of the desired object to satisfy the need.

How the Ego Keeps You Grounded

According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world.

The ego:

• Functions in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind
• Is the personality component responsible for dealing with reality

Everyone has an ego. The term ego is sometimes used to describe your cohesive sense of self, but personality and ego are not the same. The ego represents just one component of your full personality.

The ego operates according to the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id’s desires in realistic, socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses.

Freud compared the id to a horse and the ego to the horse’s rider. The horse provides power and motion, while the rider offers direction and guidance. Without its rider, the horse would wander wherever it wished and do whatever it pleased. The rider gives the horse directions and commands to get it where it wants to go.

The ego also discharges tension arising from unmet impulses through secondary process thinking, in which it seeks an object in the real world that matches the mental image created by the id’s primary process.

Examples of the Ego

Imagine that you are stuck in a long meeting at work. You find yourself growing increasingly hungry as the meeting drags on. While the id might compel you to jump up from your seat and rush to the break room for a snack, the ego guides you to sit quietly and wait for the meeting to end.

Instead of acting upon the primal urges of the id, you spend the rest of the meeting imagining yourself eating a cheeseburger. Once the meeting is finally over, you can seek out the object you were imagining and satisfy the demands of the id realistically and appropriately.

How the Superego Acts as Your Inner Guide

The last component of personality to develop is the superego.

• According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age 5.
• The superego holds the internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from our parents and society (our sense of right and wrong).
• The superego provides guidelines for making judgments.

The superego has two parts:

1. The conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments, or feelings of guilt and remorse.
2. The ego ideal includes the rules and standards for behaviors that the ego aspires to.

The superego tries to perfect and civilize our behavior. It suppresses all the id’s unacceptable urges and struggles to make the ego act in accordance with idealistic standards rather than realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious.

Examples of the Superego

For example, if you give in to the urges of the id, the superego is what will cause you to feel a sense of guilt or even shame about your actions. The superego may help you feel good about your behavior when you suppress your most primal urges.

Other examples of the superego include:

• A woman feels an urge to steal office supplies from work. However, her superego counteracts this urge by focusing on the fact that such behaviors are wrong. 
• A man realizes that the cashier at the store forgot to charge him for one of the items he had in his cart. He returns to the store to pay for the item because his internalized sense of right and wrong urges him to do so.
• A student forgets to study for a history test and feels an urge to cheat off of a student sitting nearby. Even though he feels like his chances of getting caught are low, he knows that cheating is wrong, so he suppresses the urge.

How These Parts of Personality Work Together

When discussing the id, ego, and superego, it is important to remember that these are not three separate entities with clearly defined boundaries. These aspects are dynamic and constantly interacting to influence an individual’s overall personality and behavior.

With many competing forces, it is easy to see how conflict might arise between the id, ego, and superego.

“A central theme of Freud’s work is that id, ego, and superego are always in conflict, and the specific nature of these discrepancies determines one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (or personality),” says Sauer-Zavala.

Freud used the term ego strength to refer to the ego’s ability to function despite these dueling forces. A person who has good ego strength can effectively manage these pressures, while a person with too much or too little ego strength can be unyielding or disruptive.

What Happens If They’re Out of Balance?

According to Freud, the key to a healthy personality lies in a balance among the id, the ego, and the superego. If the ego can adequately moderate between the demands of reality, the id, and the superego, a healthy and well-adjusted personality emerges. Freud believed that an imbalance between these elements would lead to a maladaptive personality.

“Freud believed that mental health difficulties (anxiety, depression) arise when ‘the ego has lost the capacity to allocate the [id] in some way’ (Freud, 1920), adds Sauer-Zavala. This leads to symptoms worse than the conflict they were trying to replace.

“Though the symptom is a substitute for the instinctual impulse, it has been so reduced, displaced, and distorted that it looks more like a compulsion or even an illness than a gratification of the id’s desire.”

Potential effects of imbalances include:

• Anxiety or tension as the ego struggles to balance competing demands
• Depressive symptoms if the superego becomes overly harsh and judgmental
• Impulsive or risky behaviors if the id overwhelms the ego’s control
• Compulsive behaviors that emerge as a way to substitute for unmet needs
• Difficulty making decisions based on internal conflicts between what you want, your internalized morals, and reality
• Problems in relationships caused by inconsistent responses or emotionally reactive behaviors

On the other hand, an overly dominant superego might lead to a personality that is extremely moralistic and judgmental. A person ruled by the superego might not be able to accept anything or anyone that they perceive to be “bad” or “immoral.”

How Modern Psychology Sees the Id, Ego, and Superego

Freud’s theory provides one conceptualization of how personality is structured and how the elements of personality function. In Freud’s view, a balance in the dynamic interaction of the id, ego, and superego is necessary for a healthy personality.

“Freud’s accounts of the nature of one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors have largely fallen out of favor,” admits Sauer-Zavala. “People began to question whether differences in people’s personalities could accurately be reduced to sexual and aggressive impulses. In fact, there is limited research support for Freud’s theories.”

While the ego has a tough job to do, it does not have to act alone. Anxiety also plays a role in helping the ego mediate between the demands of the basic urges, moral values, and the real world. When you experience different types of anxiety, defense mechanisms may kick in to help defend the ego and reduce the anxiety you are feeling.