All posts tagged: narcissist

3 Soul-Sucking Mind Games All Narcissistic Men Play In Relationships | Maggie Connor

3 Soul-Sucking Mind Games All Narcissistic Men Play In Relationships | Maggie Connor

A narcissist is usually quite charming and quite intelligent, often making narcissistic mind games hard to spot. Narcissists promise you the sun, moon, and stars. They know how to push your buttons in a way that they ‘entrap’ you in their world so that you do what they want. The moment you stop doing what they want, they get angry. When you choose to leave the relationship, they throw you away and tell everyone they were victimized by you. Never make the error of thinking you can change a narcissist or help them stop playing narcissistic mind games unless you are a trained therapist and they have sought you directly to help them with this mental disorder. Make no mistake, this is a personality and mental disorder, and if needed, they can get help from a mental health care professional, but only if they want the help. RELATED: What I Wish I’d Known Before I Fell For A Narcissist Here are 3 soul-sucking mind games all narcissistic men play in relationships: 1. Inflating their sense …

Digested week: late nights, 37 years clean – and a rude narcissist | John Crace

Digested week: late nights, 37 years clean – and a rude narcissist | John Crace

Monday Shortly after being sworn in as the new MP for Rochdale – his fourth different constituency after Glasgow Hillhead, Bethnal Green and Bradford – George Galloway announced he would be giving a press conference outside parliament. It being a relatively slow news day and George being renowned for making his own, a sizeable number of the lobby showed up. Even by Westminster standards, Galloway is a narcissist supreme. Vain and prone to megalomania, he professed himself to be delighted by the turnout before being rude to almost everyone who asked a question. The BBC man was “dripping with imperial condescension”; GB News was passed over for having said something disobliging. And so it went on, though Gorgeous George would have been gutted if we had all wandered off after a couple of minutes. His election had prompted an extraordinary intervention from Rishi Sunak the previous Friday, when he made an impromptu early evening statement outside Downing Street in which he warned that democracy was threatened by extremists, the country was falling apart and something …

The Gray Rock Method Can Liberate You From a Narcissist

The Gray Rock Method Can Liberate You From a Narcissist

Source: Oliver Paaske / Pixlr Narcissists are renowned for their insatiable need for admiration, their sense of entitlement, and their lack of empathy towards others. Whether in the workplace, at family gatherings, or even within relationships, they can easily live up to their reputation of being energy vampires. Many people may come to therapy when struggling with how to engage with a narcissist. They may say: “I have a narcissistic co-worker, and they can be frustrating to collaborate with. How can I maintain professionalism and avoid drama or manipulation?” “I am the child of a narcissist, and visiting them is always a nightmare. How can I protect my boundaries and peace during the next family gathering?” “My partner has narcissistic tendencies. How can I disengage from conversations that are intended to provoke me?” Cutting off contact with a narcissist is often considered the most effective method for disengagement, as it removes the opportunity for further manipulation and emotional harm. However, circumstances can arise where completely severing ties isn’t feasible. In these situations, it’s easy to …

9 Steps for Successfully Managing Conflict with a Narcissist

9 Steps for Successfully Managing Conflict with a Narcissist

When conflict arises, the stage is set for problem-solving, compromise, and understanding. But if that conflict is with a “full-blown” narcissist—meaning someone who meets the diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD—the standard strategies for conflict resolution are largely off the table. Recent research confirms what clinicians already knew about narcissists on teams; narcissistic members tend to be less cooperative and more competitive when dealing with conflict. Put simply, narcissists are out for themselves, prone to conflict, and difficult to work with. Source: Source: Unsplash – Fares / Hamouche Why Is This the Case? People with clinical levels of narcissism, by and large, do not actually have the ability to negotiate, cooperate, collaborate, back down, take responsibility, accept fault, or attend to others outside of themselves. Because of this, the traditional strategies—reflective listening, cooperation, collaboration, mutuality, perspective sharing, compromise, and understanding—are not only unworkable but are also potentially explosive. Convinced that they are always right, easily offended, unwilling to change, lacking in empathy, unaware of their own pathology, prone to manipulation, needing to win, …

5 Unusually Rare Signs Of Narcissism In Women | Brittney Lindstrom

5 Unusually Rare Signs Of Narcissism In Women | Brittney Lindstrom

Normally, when we think of narcissism, our minds tend to drift towards the personality traits of a narcissist that manifest in men. However, there is such a thing as a female narcissist. Raising awareness about the signs of narcissism to watch out for in women allows people to make more informed decisions about their significant other. Female narcissists tend to be more subtle in their narcissistic personality and tendencies so they are more difficult to spot. It is difficult to distinguish between self-esteem and cockiness in female narcissists. There are many narcissist traits and characteristics of narcissistic women but there are 5 key ones to keep in mind. Here are 5 unusually rare signs of narcissism in women and how to spot a female narcissist: 1. Dressing provocatively By dressing seductively, the attention will likely be on them. Dressing provocatively fuels their self-confidence and attractiveness. They dress in a way that attracts the attention of others but is quite mysterious. In turn, this attention increases their confidence but also fuels additional self-serving behaviors such as promiscuity or seductiveness. RELATED: The …

3 Ways a Narcissist Damages Their Closest Relationships

3 Ways a Narcissist Damages Their Closest Relationships

hkphoto/unsplash Narcissists live with emotional unavailability, limited emotional empathy, grandiosity, hypersensitivity, and a superficial and flashy lifestyle where things are typically for show. These red flags are no surprise to someone who has experienced a narcissist in their life. Yet, many of these signs are recognized only in hindsight and after a person has experienced emotional trauma caused by a narcissist. Aside from outward displays of confidence, internally, most narcissists have a fragile ego, can be hypersensitive to rejection, and are highly insecure. Many also commonly experience significant jealousy of others and can place themselves in competition with others, which may be a contributing factor to their damaging behavior in relationships. For example, some may know a narcissistic friend who always wants what the other person has—clothes, car, job, type of partner, etc. However, there are other behaviors that are equally common and cause significant damage to their relationships or their ability to retain a relationship. Here are three common behaviors narcissists engage in that can damage a relationship: Perfectly Timed “Discards” A narcissist will …

How To Save The Marriage When You’re Married To A Narcissist

How To Save The Marriage When You’re Married To A Narcissist

Narcissists can be difficult to spot in the beginning stages of a relationship, as their charming, love-bombing ways can at first make you feel like they’re anything but. However, the mask often drops once they’ve earned your commitment in marriage, leaving you feeling manipulated, gaslit and as though you’re constantly walking on eggshells. According to therapy site BetterHelp, a marriage to a narcissist can work. However, the road to happiness won’t be easy and will require effort. Here are 3 efforts you can make to save your marriage to a narcissist. 1. Force your partner to put himself in your shoes. When he makes some condescending statement, repeat back to him (in a nice way) exactly what he said. For instance, if he says, “Why can’t you be more like_____? She cooks so well for her husband.” Turn it around and say to your hubby, “What If I said to you, Why can’t you be more like_____?  He provides so much better for his wife.”  When he hears those words back, your partner might realize how much …

10 Smart Ways To Protect Yourself Against Psychological Mind Games When Divorcing A Narcissist | Barbara Ann Bruno

10 Smart Ways To Protect Yourself Against Psychological Mind Games When Divorcing A Narcissist | Barbara Ann Bruno

I am not an attorney nor do I claim to be, but I have been through four years of court battles with a narcissistic ex-spouse, so I know a thing or two about how to get a divorce from a narcissist. It is difficult enough going through a regular divorce, but when you add in children and a troublesome ex with a narcissistic personality, things get a bit more complicated. The concepts of compromising and co-parenting do not exist in the world of a narcissist. Winning at all costs is what a narcissistic ex needs to be empowered. They don’t behave with your children’s best interests in mind, since they don’t feel empathy either. I was fighting a losing battle filled with narcissistic mind games, based on one-sided morality. Was it frustrating? Absolutely, but it also came with a revelation: Narcissists hate who you are because it reminds them of who they are not. “I had no idea my ex was a narcissist until after my divorce.” I cannot count how many times I have heard …