Echoistic Personality Disorder: Fractured Self-esteem

Ekhoist personality disorder was named after the Greek myth of Ekho and Narcissus. Ekho was a mountain nymph who was punished by Hera and had to repeat the last words of every conversation she heard. These days, this mythological figure symbolizes all the people who struggle every day to be heard. In many cases, having a narcissist nearby is what makes it so difficult.

One of the newest terms in psychology is ecoism . The word may make you think of something related to hearing or auditory problems. But the term, as we mentioned above, comes from the nymph from Helikon who was in love with the beautiful shepherd boy, named Narcissus.

Dr. Craig Malkin, a psychology professor at Harvard Medical School, was the first to introduce the word eco -ism in his book Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists . Following the publication of this book, the scientific community, as well as the general public, took a keen interest in this new personality trait.

Echoism describes people who are heavily dependent on others and often have unhealthy relationships with narcissists. They are loving and emotionally sensitive people who are uncomfortable being in the center of attention. They are afraid to express their needs. People with egoistic personality disorder prioritize the needs and desires of others. They tend to be passive and not very confident due to pressure from a narcissist in their close social circle.

Selfish Personality Disorder: Origin and Traits

In the years to come, you will probably hear this term more and more. The public is interested in selfish personality disorder because of how narcissism is particularly present in today’s society. In fact, studies by researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany published in the Public Library of Science show that social networks such as Facebook are making this increasingly common.

As a result, many feel that narcissists affect their daily lives. The presence of a narcissist limits their identity and above all their self-esteem. On the other hand, if you take a closer look at Ekho’s history, you will notice something unique. Ekho was the most confident and brilliant conversationalist. She enchanted everyone as she spoke thanks to her incredible wit.

Her talent led Zeus to use her to entertain Hera as he snuck away to be with other women. When Hera found out, she punished Ekho by removing her voice. The only thing she could do was repeat the last words of other people’s conversations. Ekho’s torture intensified when she fell in love with Narcissus, and he made fun of her because of her curse.

When this happened, Ekho fell into deep despair and sadness. The rejection and humiliation was far more painful than losing my voice. Ekho embodies this basic idea. You may have been a very skilled, strong and witty person before. Nevertheless, the simple presence of a narcissist has the potential to cancel you completely. You hide and find refuge in the dark mountain cave on Helikon just like Echo.

What are the characteristics of a person with an egoistic personality disorder?

Selfish personality disorder (EPD) does not just mean low self-esteem or addiction. It’s more complex than that.

• People with EPD are very emotionally sensitive.
• They know how to listen to others and are very empathetic. However, they do not feel comfortable or confident in sharing their needs with others.
• EPD sufferers do not perceive their value and rarely acknowledge their own achievements.
• They do not take the initiative because they do not want to bother other people. People with EPD reject projects if they have the slightest feeling that it could lead to problems for someone else.

• EPD sufferers often have a narcissistic parent. One or both parents neglected (or actively rejected) their emotional and personal needs.
• It is worth mentioning that people with EPD understand and are aware of their problem. They have many internal conflicts. They try to make themselves heard, set boundaries, make their needs clear, etc. But they do not always achieve their goals and this leads to constant internal conflict.
• At the same time , ekhoists often have emotional relationships with narcissists. These personality types are nurtured by each other. However, neither party is happy in the relationship.

Is this disorder a mental illness?

EPD is not exactly a mental illness. Echoism is a trait that consists of some unfortunate survival mechanisms.

EPD comes from having an insecure attachment in childhood. The narcissist in the child’s life essentially undermined all their emotional needs. Little by little, the child learned not to have a voice, to live in silence and not to disturb anyone. They learned to be the key figure that other narcissists use and manipulate.

Everyone can get out of their personal caves. Ekho used Nemesis to seek revenge, for example. But you do not have to go to such extremes. Narcissus’ punishment did not help Ekho restore his talkativeness, his giftedness with words.

Working on self-esteem is all you need to do. Understand that you deserve to be seen, have a voice, express your needs and receive love from others. Sometimes it’s not a bad idea to take a page from Narcissus’ book and look at your own reflection to remind you how worthy you are.