Mistaken Identity: A Guide to Discerning Narcissism from Neurodivergence

A new 12-page download for better discernment

There is rising confusion between “everyday narcissism”, pathological narcissism, neurodivergence, and trauma, and the result is an odd slurry of misattributed and poorly understood traits that melt into one another. The result is that far too many neurodivergent, sensitive, or struggling people have been mistaken for narcissists. Conversely, those who are narcissistic have been labeled as neurodivergent. Indeed, both can exist in the same person, but parsing the nuances can be tricky. So I created a downloadable guide to help you discern, not diagnose. To equip you with the clarity and compassion needed to tell the difference between a trauma response, a neurodivergent trait, and genuine narcissistic harm.

In this 10-page diagnostic companion, you’ll find:

• Clear definitions of narcissism (clinical, subclinical, and everyday)

• A breakdown of empathy types and how they show up differently

• Two comparison charts illustrating overlaps and key distinctions

• A checklist of questions to support real-time discernment

• A compassionate but incisive exploration of masking, misattunement, and projection

This isn’t about excusing harm. It’s about refusing to collapse every social misfire or awkward interaction into pathology or conflating narcissistic behavior as neurodivergent.

I hope that this will help protect neurodivergent people from false blame and hold the exploitative accountable with precision.

This resource pairs with themes from my books The Narcissist in You and Everyone Else and Center of the Universe, and it’s the tool I wish more coaches, clinicians, spiritual leaders, and seekers had in their pocket.

Download the guide below.