If you have been in a relationship with someone with a narcissistic personality disorder or even one who has some traits of narcissism, no doubt you have been hurt deeply. Having a family member, parent, or sibling with narcissism can cause great harm. Emotional abuse is just as damaging as physical abuse – this type […]
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Healthy relationships nourish and support us. Like poison, a toxic relationship is one that is damaging to us. Instead of uplifting us, it makes us feel worse. When it ends, we might experience post-traumatic stress or a lessening of our self-esteem and trust in ourselves and others. Although friends and family might tell us to […]
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Identifying when malevolence is cloaked in philanthropy When I was a kid, I was enamored with topical folk songwriter and political activist Phil Ochs. The abysmal circumstances I was born into were assuaged by his activism, brilliant lyricism, and melodic voice. He inspired me and gave me hope. Ochs was emblematic of what the ideology […]
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You know what I’ve never heard? Someone saying about their narcissistic ex, “They just got better and better over time!” I’ve never heard it and you’ve never heard it because it’s not true. Narcissists don’t get better, they don’t improve. This is a fact, basic science, aka Shit We Know to be True. Like other […]
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Not all victims are manipulative. Feeling like a victim has taken on negative connotations, but there are people who “play the victim” in order to manipulate you. This is a favorite defense of narcissists and other personality-disordered people. In some other instances, this behavior is learned as a child because as a way to get needs […]
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Human beings have an innate desire for love and belonging. We want to know that someone else thinks the world of us and would love to spend their time and life with us. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that as it’s how we are made. However, that NEED for love can be used as a […]
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Episodic ruptures were peppered throughout their tumultuous relationship, but when seemingly benign texting commenced during the pandemic, Megan began to question if she was correct in concluding that her ex was a full-blown malignant narcissist. In fact, their friendly exchanges caused her to ruminate over how the early stages of their courtship were not defined by […]
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Especially if you’re trying to heal after a relationship with one Everyone makes mistakes. All people are inherently good. He/she didn’t mean to hurt me. He/she didn’t know what they were doing. In an ideal world, all of the above would be true. In an ideal world, every single human would be good at their […]
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All relationships have conflict. Every relationship has areas of difficulty. There will be some form of disagreement and hurt in every relationship. What determines a successful relationship is the willingness and commitment of each partner to find resolutions they can agree on. Agreements often involve compromise. Compromise requires flexibility and options. It does not involve […]
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An opportune time to troll for supply. Holiday expectations can be challenging. Living up to the idyllic narrative of collective bonding and celebrations in which people everywhere are supposedly experiencing holiday rituals and get-togethers that foster well-being and intimacy can be anxiety-producing. For many folks, the seasonal lure of promised pleasure, coupled with the glitz […]
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