Compulsory disclaimer: I’m not diagnosed, but display a lot of NPD traits including empathy issues.

Just had the thought. My mum came over to ask my help with some online paperwork. I generally try to give her the tools rather than doing it for her, but there were some technical issues she genuinely needed help with. However, she also asked me questions from the form, which I know little about and had to think through, put myself in her shoes and make a decision what to write on her behalf. When I refused she sort of complained that I’m not good.

And then it hit me: my partner does the same thing. People at work do the same thing. More often than not people ask me for help with random things and I usually agree, because otherwise I feel bad, obliged and kinda scared. It’s almost like they make those annoyed comments and I take them personally, what in turn makes me a people pleaser. And then I work around it being arbitrary and feeling like a villain. Perhaps empathy thing has more to do with deregulation rather than a complete lack?

Not sure if I’m onto something, does anyone feel similar?