Yes, for his first, what, thirty years, Iron Man was a fiction that Tony Stark used; specifically that Iron Man was his private bodyguard. He had a degree of authority to act on Tony's behalf ("Mr. Stark told me to do this") and an excuse for why he was always conveniently nearby when Tony was in danger. They even maintained that fiction for a while when Rhodey wore the armor.

Past Tony is clearly in descending mode here; he's self-involved and on his way to self-destruction.