Unmet needs

Overall, when narcissistic needs are unmet, these individuals become quite distressed and often suicidal (Ronningstam, 2009). Whereas their behavior can hurt others, their inner experience is filled with negative feelings and problems that make life feel meager, to the point, in extreme cases, of meaninglessness. Such individuals conceal their feelings of unworthiness and anticipate a lack of support by others; they imagine they will be rejected, criticized, or ostracized, so that, as a consequence, they feel alone. Underneath the surface lies a sense of fraudulence and the apprehension that sooner or later others will detect the charade, perceptions that lead these individuals to sometimes avoid social contact. When not striving for grandiosity or when sensing their goals are far from being achieved, they lose hope, feel unable to commit themselves to whatever action is required, and eventually feel devitalized and empty.