Relationships with narcissists often go through a painful cycle that is a predictable outgrowth of narcissistic personality disorder. Central to understanding a narcissist’s behavior is that their relationships are transactional. Their impaired boundaries and lack of empathy prevent them from seeing other people as separate three-dimensional beings with needs and feelings of their own. Thus, […]
Unveiling the Therapeutic Magic of Pen and Paper In the fast-paced, often chaotic rhythm of modern life, finding a moment of stillness and self-reflection can be a rare and invaluable gift. Journaling, a practice that involves putting pen to paper and exploring the depths of our thoughts and emotions, has emerged as a powerful tool […]
The holiday season is often hailed as a time for joy, family gatherings, and celebration. However, for those dealing with narcissistic individuals in their lives, the holidays can become a daunting challenge. There are difficulties that arise when spending the festive season with narcissists but let me offer some practical tips for surviving the experience […]
Narcissists have no boundaries. They don’t care about others beyond what they can take from them. Their acts of giving are simply a covert scheme to get what they want. Early-on in their lives they learned that affection produces compliance. That’s why so many survivors of Narcissistic abuse report they were love-bombed at the outset […]
Why do we get tangled up with narcissists and sociopaths? One big reason is that nobody tells us they’re out there, so we don’t know to watch out for them. I am changing that with my new podcast called, True Lovefraud Stories. I’m sharing stories of people who believed they found a loving partner, when […]
Dating is tricky. It always has been but now that we know what we know about narcissists, it adds a new layer of concern into the mix that may have never been there before. In the past, we may have hoped for a “nice” or “cute” one but now we look for one who won’t […]
Contemplating revenge or retaliating against those who have wronged us is bound to seep into consciousness at some point in life. After all, managing hurt and conflict by imagining avenging scenarios is a natural, albeit primitive aggressive impulse. The more disregulated and enraged one is, the more likely these spiteful fantasies will take on an obsessive […]
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you identify as a caring, empathic person. You likely pride yourself on being understanding, generous, and attuned to others’ feelings. So why is it that you keep finding yourself in relationships with narcissistic or manipulative people who take advantage of your good nature? What is it that […]
Whenever I need to forget about where I am, like during wisdom tooth extraction or stuck in traffic on I-95, I often focus on something from the past which makes me feel really good, like the best kiss I ever had. I’d become great at summoning up the inside of Eric’s red Volkswagen at sixteen, […]
It’s hard to imagine that anything good can come out of the torturous experience of being emotionally abused. Research tells us that 90% of you (in a pathological love relationship) will have some symptoms of trauma; many will have full blown C-PTSD and PTSD. You may have developed physical illness from the excessive stress and […]