Vulnerable Narcissism

Vulnerable narcissism — sometimes called covert narcissism — is the subtype most frequently missed, both by those experiencing it and by professionals attempting to identify it. Where grandiose narcissism is overt and domineering, vulnerable narcissism operates through victimhood, hypersensitivity, passive aggression, and a fragile self-image that nonetheless demands the same level of special treatment and exemption from accountability. In relationships, it can be profoundly destabilizing precisely because it is so difficult to name. This section examines how vulnerable narcissism presents, how it operates, and how it intersects with coercive control.