Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Residential Mental Health Treatment in Haverhill, MA

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a complex mental health condition defined by patterns of grandiosity, a persistent need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. While individuals with NPD may appear confident or self-assured on the surface, their self-esteem is often fragile and heavily dependent on external validation. NPD can lead to strained relationships, emotional dysregulation, and significant challenges in both personal and professional life.

At Serenity at Summit New England in Haverhill, Massachusetts, we offer short-term, residential mental health treatment for adults living with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Our program is designed to help individuals develop greater self-awareness, emotional stability, and insight into their behavior. Through structured, trauma-informed care, patients can begin the journey toward emotional growth and interpersonal change in a safe, therapeutic environment.

What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

NPD is classified as a Cluster B personality disorder by the DSM-5, characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic behavior. It often involves difficulties in regulating self-esteem, managing relationships, and handling perceived criticism. While everyone may show narcissistic traits occasionally, NPD is a chronic and pervasive pattern that causes significant distress or dysfunction.

Key characteristics of NPD include:

• Grandiose sense of self-importance and exaggeration of achievements
• Fantasies about power, beauty, brilliance, or ideal love
• Belief in being unique or special and only understood by other high-status individuals
• Need for excessive admiration
• Sense of entitlement or unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment
• Exploitation of others to achieve personal goals
• Lack of empathy and difficulty recognizing others’ feelings
• Envy of others or belief that others are envious of them
• Arrogant or haughty behaviors and attitudes

These behaviors often mask a fragile inner self, intensifying sensitivity to perceived criticism, rejection, or failure. This can result in depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and self-destructive actions, especially when narcissistic defenses are threatened.

The Inner Experience of NPD

Despite appearances, individuals with NPD often struggle with profound emotional distress. They may feel shame, worthlessness, or emptiness when not getting validation. Their relationships can be volatile and short-lived, and they often have difficulty handling disappointment or vulnerability. Emotional outbursts, withdrawal, or defensive anger are common reactions to perceived threats to their ego or image.

NPD can co-occur with other mental health conditions, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Substance use disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Other personality disorders (e.g., borderline or antisocial)

At Serenity at Summit, our clinical team is trained to work with these co-occurring issues in a coordinated, nonjudgmental way. We prioritize relational stability, emotional containment, and compassionate behavioral feedback.

What Causes Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

NPD is believed to develop from a combination of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors. Early life experiences often play a significant role in shaping narcissistic defenses and identity structures.

Risk factors include:

• Childhood emotional neglect or inconsistent caregiving
• Overpraising achievements without emotional attunement
• Parental modeling of entitlement or superiority
• Chronic exposure to criticism, shame, or invalidation
• Unmet emotional needs during key developmental stages

These experiences can contribute to developing compensatory self-structures emphasizing perfection, power, or control at the expense of vulnerability, authenticity, and empathy.

When Is Residential Treatment Needed?

Residential care may be necessary when outpatient therapy is not enough to create change or when the individual is in crisis. Short-term inpatient treatment is appropriate for individuals who:

• Are experiencing suicidal ideation, aggression, or severe depression
• Struggle with emotional regulation or impulsive, risky behaviors
• Repeatedly sabotage personal or professional relationships
• Fail to engage meaningfully in outpatient care
• Require a higher level of structure and clinical containment

At Serenity at Summit in Haverhill, MA, our residential program offers a 21–35 day stay designed to promote emotional insight, reduce distress, and support a safe return to outpatient work. We treat patients with dignity and empathy while reinforcing boundaries and expectations essential for personal growth.

Our Clinical Approach to NPD

Treating Narcissistic Personality Disorder requires a therapeutic balance between understanding and accountability. We work to validate the emotional experiences that drive narcissistic behavior while challenging harmful relational patterns. Our clinicians use evidence-based, relational, and trauma-informed models to support behavioral change and emotional healing.

Core elements of our residential program include:

• Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation: Assess for NPD and co-occurring conditions, develop a medication plan if needed
• Individual therapy: Increase insight, reduce shame, and examine interpersonal impact
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness training
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Reframe distorted thinking and improve emotional flexibility
• Group therapy: Develop empathy, accountability, and communication skills
• Daily structure and behavioral reinforcement: Encourage consistency, cooperation, and self-reflection

We support patients in building self-awareness and recognizing patterns that undermine relationships and personal goals. Change is fostered through both therapeutic intervention and the relational dynamics of the residential community.

Living with NPD in Massachusetts

In communities across Massachusetts, including Essex County, residents face barriers to effective treatment for personality disorders. Many therapists are not trained in managing Cluster B conditions, and patients may bounce between providers without continuity or progress.

Local challenges include:

• Limited availability of specialized DBT or personality disorder programs
• Long waitlists for psychiatric care and psychological assessments
• Frequent ER visits for emotional crises or interpersonal violence
• Stigma around personality disorders and misunderstood diagnoses

Serenity at Summit New England fills this critical gap with an accessible, trauma-informed, private residential option. We help patients stabilize, regroup, and reconnect with long-term goals while surrounded by skilled professionals who understand the nuances of NPD.

Outpatient vs. Residential Treatment for NPD

Discharge Planning and Continuing Support

Because NPD requires long-term therapeutic engagement, our discharge team ensures patients leave with a concrete, realistic plan for outpatient care. Each discharge plan includes:

• Referrals to outpatient therapists with personality disorder expertise
• Medication management with local psychiatrists, if applicable
• DBT or skills-based group therapy recommendations
• Family education and boundary-setting tools
• Goal tracking and relapse prevention planning

We also help patients develop insight into the emotional and relational gains made during their stay and how to build on them daily.

Hope and Growth Are Possible

Living with Narcissistic Personality Disorder can be painful, confusing, and isolating. But meaningful change is possible—with commitment, structure, and the right support. At Serenity at Summit in Haverhill, MA, we help individuals build the self-awareness and emotional resilience needed to live more authentic, connected lives. We believe healing is possible—not by erasing narcissistic traits, but by understanding and integrating them into a healthier, more flexible self.

📍 Address: 61 Brown Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
📞 Call: 978-312-9830
🌐 Website: www.serenityatsummit.com

Contact Serenity At Summit

If you or someone you care about may be living with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, contact us today. Our team is here to offer clarity, stability, and support on the journey toward meaningful change.

You are not your diagnosis. With the proper support, you can build something different and better.