Those predisposed to CNC are acutely sensitive to the needs of everyone and everything in their environment. Whether it be in the microcosm of the nuclear family or the macrocosm of contemporary global reality, the potential sufferers of CNC have somehow come to deem themselves shepherds of the flock of humanity.

Often an immoderate sense of responsibility that is the hallmark of a predisposition to CNC becomes apparent at an early age; it appears therefore to be an inborn temperament. The child is often described as “the best child” or the “most responsible one.” As he struggles to create a perfect world, he becomes more agile at perfecting his own ‘self’ vicariously. Here lie additional tools for the development of CNC. He is the perfect student, athlete, artist or musician. He does not strive to be the best because of his inherent sense of superiority and duty; but to try to prove his worth to others because of his perceived lack of an internal self.

A child needs structure in order to survive. For his wellbeing, it is imperative to encourage congruency with his environment, optimism, and hope despite different perspectives in the world. If he concludes from watching the media and from observing his surroundings that life is chaos, that the contradictions of doom and a no-pain existence can reside within the realm of perfectionism, this can tip him from a predisposition to, to a full manifestation of, CNC.

When someone with CNC discovers he cannot “save the world,” that perfection is impossible, he is devastated. He judges himself unworthy and weak because he is incapable of solving these overwhelming problems. These disappointments and traumas, although they do not cause the self-harming behavior, can nevertheless trigger its onset.

A CNC sufferer becomes so given to the well being and caring of the world that he spends little time developing his internal identity. This eventually leads toward subjectivity and self-abnegation. He mentally sacrifices his need to develop his own identity for the sake of healing the world, and finally, anxiously anticipates possible problems to prevent.

The CNC sufferer becomes incapable of handling the perceived responsibility for the pain of the world. Despite his incapacity, he still feels somehow responsible, therefore unconsciously deciding to resign his own life. As the victim heads toward self-destruction, the Negative Mind grows in importance and magnitude. He is living a nightmare, internally and externally.