Narcissism and the Autonomic Nervous System
Under duress, the Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System is triggered, resulting in high stress, fight/flight response. This can be mistaken for a narcissistic personality.
The fight response dominates for many individuals in these circumstances. The result is an aggressive defensiveness, where other people are blamed and attacked.
These very symptoms are also present in the narcissistic personality. So someone stressed can look like a narcissistic type of person!
The key to address this is offering empathy, compassion, grace, and patience.
In therapy working with somatic techniques and neuroplasticity enable the client to come back into their Window of Tolerance with good Affect Regulation, through triggering a parasympathetic response in the Autonomic Nervous System.
As Christian believers Paul addresses our attitude for all circumstances in the letter to the Philippians 2.1-2:
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."
All Bible quotations are from the NIV.
Susie Scott Kydd. Copyright 2025