Breaking up with a narcissistic partner is a challenging and often tumultuous process, compounded by the complexities of legal and financial entanglements. Narcissists tend to be manipulative, controlling, and highly skilled at turning situations to their advantage, making it difficult for their partners to extricate themselves from the relationship smoothly. This is especially true when […]
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Research on narcissistic personality disorder has substantially increased in the last 20 years, and the public discourse on narcissism has exploded, but it is often inaccurate. Many social media spokespersons (both narcissists and their victims) generalize their personal experiences to all narcissists. As an author and licensed family therapist, my writing is evidence-based on my […]
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Supporting a loved one who is recovering from a narcissistic relationship requires a deep understanding of their emotional and psychological struggles and can be challenging, but your support can make a significant difference in their healing process. Narcissistic relationships often leave the victim feeling isolated, confused, emotionally drained, and deeply wounded. As a friend or […]
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Living with a narcissist can often feel like walking on eggshells, never knowing when a situation might escalate into something dangerous. While many narcissists excel in psychological manipulation, some can also resort to physical violence when their fragile egos are threatened. When faced with such a situation, calling the police can be a necessary and […]
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The term “ego” has gotten a bad rep, but in fact, having a strong ego indicates mental health in contrast to a weak or big ego. In Freud’s structural model of the psyche, “I” was translated to the Latin, “ego.” Unlike the primitive “id” seen in infants, the ego develops in stages and represents the […]
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We all know that ‘click’ when we connect with that special someone, our heart races, we lean into whatever they are saying, we can’t wait to see them again. Attraction in adulthood is the activation of our earliest attachment patterns. It’s like our body saying ‘I know how to be the corresponding puzzle piece to this person’. […]
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If you’ve been hurt by a narcissist, you’ve likely daydreamed about confronting them directly about their toxic behavior. Imagining finally speaking your truth and holding them accountable is satisfying. But in reality, confronting a narcissist often backfires. Their core traits make them unable to self-reflect, empathize, and hear feedback. Chances are, if you’ve tried calling […]
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“In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.” ~ Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence — From Domestic Abuse […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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