Narcissistic abuse and recovery explored and explained through a true first-person narrative.
| Apology and Forgiveness | The primary rule I’ve lived by for success in recovering from the damage of my dysfunctional relationship with Tina has been simple: No Contact. I don’t know for sure whether Tina ever reads this blog, but since she occasionally sends friends and family over to Amazon to drop one-star reviews on my book, The Adventures
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| Amid a sea of losses, a gambling addict is always chasing the high of that next win and in victims of narcissistic abuse, a trauma bond is like gambling addiction | In the complex realm of human psychology, parallels between seemingly disparate phenomena often emerge, shedding light on the profound intricacies of our behaviors and experiences. One such striking
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| Denial in Narcissistic Relationships: The Glue That Holds it Together | Denial is a psychological phenomenon characterized by a person’s refusal to accept or acknowledge the reality of a distressing or uncomfortable situation, often as a defense mechanism to protect themselves from emotional discomfort, anxiety, or cognitive dissonance. It involves a conscious or unconscious rejection of facts, events, or
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| Is it Covert Narcissism or Borderline Personality Disorder? Maybe Both | Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex and often misunderstood mental health condition characterized by intense and unstable emotions, difficulties in forming stable relationships, impulsive behaviors, and a distorted sense of self. Individuals with BPD may experience intense mood swings, fear of abandonment, and a chronic feeling of
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| Antisocial or Narcissist? What’s a Sociopath? | Antisocial Personality Disorder, or ASPD, is a complex mental health condition primarily characterized by a persistent pattern of disregard for the rights of others, impulsivity, lack of empathy, and manipulative behavior. Individuals with ASPD often display a range of antisocial traits that can lead to significant personal, social, and legal difficulties. This
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How Narcissists Engage in Projection and What Narcissistic Projection Is Projection is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual attributes their own thoughts, feelings, or characteristics onto another person or group. It is often considered a defense mechanism, as it allows individuals to avoid acknowledging or dealing with uncomfortable aspects of themselves. Narcissists and people with cluster B personality disorders
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What is Gaslighting and how does it Affect a Victim of Narcissistic Abuse? Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse that is used to disorient and control a victim. It involves the manipulation of reality, causing the victim to question their own sanity and perception of events. Gaslighting is a particularly insidious form of abuse because it is subtle and
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What is Cognitive Dissonance and how does it Happen in Narcissistic Relationships? Have you ever suffered from hearing two completely different songs played at the same time? The disharmony of sounds is called dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term used to describe the mental discomfort people feel when they hold two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. It
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| The Many Angles of Sex With a Narcissist | Individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) often use sex as a means of obtaining narcissistic supply, maintaining control over their partners through triangulation with others and by using it as either punishment or reward. Narcissistic supply is the common name for the attention, admiration, and validation that individuals with NPD
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The potential for a link between brain damage and narcissism (or other Cluster B disorders) hasn’t yet been very well studied by professional researchers, but there is some emergent data suggesting that certain types of brain damage or defects may contribute to the development of personality disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a part of the brain that plays a
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