Severing Relationships with Adult Narcissistic Siblings

Growing up in narcissistic families is one of the most difficult and traumatic situations for children. When we are very young, many of us believe the family story. We are from a good family. Mother and father are great parents and love their children. They care deeply about each individual child. When the mother or father is a narcissist this is never the case. Narcissists by nature cannot be true parents. They wear the elaborate image of parent but this is false. Many friends, other family members and acquaintances are impressed with what they perceive as a loving family. It all looks so perfect at their vantage point. No one views or experiences what is actually occurring in the privacy of the home. I have communicated with a number of adult siblings of narcissists. They tell stories of great emotional and psychological ordeals---one after the other.

These children often live in the shadow of the chosen narcissistic brother or sister. From early childhood throughout adulthood the narcissistic child who is not favored is treated with disdain, humiliation and various forms of cruelty. The narcissistic child does not change and neither does his parent(s). Narcissistic parents treat their other children as inferiors. There is no justice in these households. You would think that as adults this pattern would change. In many instances this is not the case. The narcissistic parent continues to favor his/her adult narcissistic golden one.

The less favored adult children often go along with the perfect family image of love and devotion. They swallow their words, pretend that everything is normal and even make excuses for the cruel manipulative narcissist in their midst. They close ranks and say: "Oh, he/she is just being his eccentric self." He/she  is awkward socially. Don't take him/her so seriously." The narcissistic personality traits which cause such pain to others in the family are considered to be quirks not character traits that are psychologically toxic to their adult siblings, their children and all of those who come into contact with them.

At some point there are siblings who have had enough. They are worn down with the callousness with which they have been treated their entire lives with no consequences to their hateful words, behaviors and attitudes toward everyone but themselves and their golden circles of admirers. When you have recognized your narcissistic sibling and have suffered more than enough, you will make a decision of whether to stay in the family tableau and play your role or to sever the relationship with a very cruel human being. Other members of the family may be on board with the narcissist and will never understand your understanding the truth of his nature. You may be ostracized for deciding to sever this relationship. These are your personal decisions and can be very difficult. At times these decisions divide families.It is vital that we live with the truth. This can mean that we understand on a deep level that we must free our lives from the burden of the narcissistic siblings cruelties, manipulations and deceits. Some siblings minimize their interactions with the narcissistic brother or sister. Often it is difficult because the adult narcissist is constantly causing pain and chaos among every member of the family. He/she keeps the fires of hatred burning.

Those who choose to sever this relationship, do so with careful thought. As they move through their lives each day, they are unburdened and now free to move forward without always wondering when the next psychological ambush, outrageous remark or bursts of rage will take place. We can choose that we will lead our lives as unique individuals who deserve to use our creative gifts, to form and nourish loving relationships and to be true to ourselves. Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Buy the book: amazon and amazon kindle edition
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Healing from the Narcissistic Mother

I hear from sons and daughters of narcissistic mothers. Their psychological pain is particularly poignant. As children they feel inadequate and confused, returning many times to mother for the love and contact she is incapable of giving. They don't understand that a narcissistic mother lives for herself alone. Even as very small children mother is emotionally distanced. I have communicated with many children of narcissistic mothers who remember that mother was always unavailable---night and day. She was a very "busy" woman. Some of these children were raised by nannies or put in day care when they were tiny infants. Mother couldn't wait to take them off of her hands. With friends mother bragged about her wonderful children. In family pictures and during holidays there were public displays of the "happy family", the "loving mother" and her beautiful children. This is the image that mother insisted on presenting to her friends and the world. Image replaces reality for the narcissist. Within the walls of their home, mother treated these children with coldness, dismissiveness, constant criticisms. Often she would fly into volcanic rage over the smallest issue. If mother got stirred up she projected her venom on to her children. Narcissistic mothers often pit one child against the other. These enmities between siblings can last a lifetime. If the narcissistic mother chooses a favorite child who is a psychological twin, the rest of the children are treated as inferior and worthless. The narcissistic mother colludes with the golden child, providing him/her with every educational opportunity. He/she is the recipient of all the praise, entitlement and raised to a position of prominence in the family. I have heard of homes that were filled with trophies or certificates earned by the golden child throughout the years. His/her siblings were required to look up to this chosen child and to obey them. These situations can turn very ugly. The chosen child can inflict severe psychological damage on his siblings. They are often threatened and intimidated and treated with severe humiliation.

Healing begins with the recognition that your mother was/is a narcissist. This is not your fault; you are a victim of narcissistic abuse. You cannot change this mother. Her personality structure is fixed and rigid. You can change you understanding and perception of her and yourself. Be kind to yourself. Recognize that you were strong enough to survive maternal narcissistic abuse. That is an incredible achievement. Be patient with yourself. You will heal. Give yourself the space and time to do this. You will find others who have suffered this mother wound. Some find comfort and understanding in support groups or find close friends who share similar backgrounds. In some cases psychotherapy is helpful in dealing with these issues. Be sure that the therapist has a deep understanding of the narcissistic personality disorder. Practice calming the mind and body through gentle yoga with emphasis on calming breath, various forms of meditation including guided meditation and other healing modalities. Know that you will reclaim your life. There is a powerful force inside of you that has been waiting all of this time to reclaim your individuality and the inner peace that you deserve. Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Buy the book: amazon and amazon kindle edition
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Male Narcissists Prey on Psychologically Vulnerable Women

In this blog I am writing about male narcissists who actively participate in victimizing women who are psychologically vulnerable and experience themselves as weak and inadequate. (The same is true about female narcissists.) The life stories of these women are filled with histories of childhood abuse, trauma and neglect. Successful narcissists often have several female partners. This is the perfect picture of the model wife and marriage that fits the image that the narcissist projects on to the world. In private the emotionally vulnerable woman suffers horribly in her marriage to the narcissistic man. Some of them completely lose themselves and become servants of their spouses. They have no life of their own. Many are terrified by the intimidations and humiliations of their husbands. They bow their heads and obey the patriarchal demands of their spouses. They lose themselves in the constant demands, extreme stress and criticisms that befall them every day. These women are trapped. They cannot tolerate living with these men but the thought of leaving them and being on their own is horrifying. They cannot imagine maneuvering through life alone. Their spouses threaten to withdraw any kind of financial support if they threaten to divorce them. While their friends, church groups, business associates and social connections believe that this is a happy couple, the wife is experiencing wrenching distress as a prisoner of her narcissistic spouse. Some narcissistic husbands isolate their spouses and treat them like objects who are at their disposal.

In some fortunate cases the women married to these cruel narcissistic men finally listens to a wake up call, telling her that the psychological suffocation of this relationship is not going to change. It will become worse. Taking themselves in hand, often with the help of close trusted friends, they make the major step to end the marriage to the narcissist and become free for the first time in their lives. After the marriage ends, the wife deals with processing of her myriad of feelings surrounding her dysfunctional marriage. Coming back into the light of life itself, the previously psychologically imprisoned woman, goes through a process of re-acquainting herself with knowing and respecting her own thoughts and feelings. Gradually, with the help of different healing modalities including psychotherapy, meditation, hatha yoga, tai chi, qi gong, etc, these women work through the sufferings of their past relationship, begin to experience a new vitality and freedom and reclaim the lives that they deserve. This is a great victory, won through perseverance, insight, consistency of purpose and an abiding hope that they deserve to lead lives that are unique to them and in which they thrive. Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com

Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Buy the book: amazon and amazon kindle edition
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Stop Playing the Role of Narcissistic Supply

A narcissistic supply feeds the narcissist's hungry ego. Narcissistic supplies come in many forms: praise, adulation, high social status, wealth, beauty, handsomeness, athletic prowess, celebrity. The narcissist chooses certain people to come into his/her life and act as ego boosting, narcissistic supplies. With this other individual at his side, he believes that his elaborate image will score even higher points in the world. The narcissists who succeed with money and power are highly prized by those in this present self-obsessed society. The media idolizes and reward narcissists as do large swaths of the business and professional world. If a narcissist is at a high enough level he or she can get away with almost anything.

The narcissist cannot have an authentic relationship with another human being. People to him are objects to be manipulated, seduced and exploited for their value to him. The narcissist perceived other individuals as part of him the will enhance and enrich his image and status in the world. Narcissists uses spouses, partners and their own children as supplies.

If you are picked by a narcissist to be his/her partner or spouse, it is vital to be aware that this person is incapable of having a genuine psychologically intimate relationship. Regardless of the persuasiveness of his act that gravitates you to him, the narcissist has no intention nor is he capable of sustaining a loving reciprocal relationship. He is a masterful actor and leads many to believe that he loves them deeply. But this is part of his elaborate act to maintain his control over you and to keep his ego supplies well stocked.

To protect yourself from the narcissist, learn about every detail of this personality disorder. If you have finally recognized that this individual is a narcissist and cannot truly love or appreciate who you are, distance yourself from this person. The best action is to sever this "relationship", deal with your painful feelings of sadness, regret and broken hopes and to move forward with your life rather than remain a living accoutrement of his/hers. The work of ending these relationships may be helped with high quality psychotherapy as well as healing modalities: gentle yoga, meditation, support groups, the deep caring of a few close friends. You deserve to lead your life as an individual who respects and values herself and is treated in this manner. You are unique and valuable. Get in touch with those facets of yourself. Give yourself credit from the journey you have made from playing the role of narcissistic supply to leading your life fully and freely as a separate authentic human being. Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Buy the book: amazon.com and amazon kindle edition
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

What You Don't Know About The Narcissist Can Harm You

You and the narcissist may share the same time and space in a family, business or marriage but you are planets apart.The narcissist thrives in a world of delusion of his/her making. The narcissist's visions of reality are grandiose, skewed to an absolute belief in his superiority. He holds ultimate power and control over others through manipulations, deceits and chronic lying. We may not recognize that the individual we are meeting is a narcissist, especially if he/she is masterful at playing his roles. If you do not react the way he perceives you will, he is very adept at switching to another character in his drama. All of this is a convincing act but fraudulent.

Narcissists don't change; their personality structure is rigid and very unlikely to change..
Narcissists generally don't benefit from psychotherapy because they are certain that the problem(s) originates and is being driven by others---spouses, children, siblings, business associates. The narcissist believes he is flawless; the difficulty is with others not him. If you cross the narcissist, at times he/she will relentlessly pursue you. They go to war in certain situations. It is particularly ugly in divorce proceedings, division of property and material possessions and custody decisions.

In extreme instances the narcissist decides that he/she can wreck you life on every level---personal and professional. Narcissists always know that they will win. They persuasively lie to everyone, including judges, therapists and lawyers. Their confidence overflows with hubris. Without a conscience they throw threats, intimidations, defamations of character where ever they might stick. They often get away with their outrageous and destructive behaviors. Many narcissists present themselves as victims and convince many people through the fine art of lying. They have been practicing perfidy since they were children.

Learn about every aspect of the narcissistic personality disorder. It is well worth doing your homework.
The earlier you identify a narcissist, the greater the edge you have in either avoiding this individual or giving yourself a head start on dealing with this person.
Trust and deepen your intuition---that quality that tells us the truth directly and accurately.
If you are dealing with a narcissist, learn to detach your feelings from their psychological bait.
Practice some form of quieting your body/mind---yoga, restorative yoga, meditation, tai chi, etc. This will provide you with powerful techniques for grounding yourself.
Always remember that the narcissist is projecting his/her venom and other contents of the unconscious most of the time. This is the narcissist's noxious unconscious remnants. They do not belong to you.
Learn to detach from the narcissist's histrionics. These individuals are waiting for you to overreact. Maintain your sense of emotional equilibrium so they will not have you as a target. Don't share any of your deep feelings with the narcissist. He or she will use them to manipulate your vulnerabilities.
Appreciate your uniqueness and your entitlement to lead a life of inner peace, meaningful relationships with those who appreciate you and the expansion of your creativity.
Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com

Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Buy the book: amazon and amazon kindle edition
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Predatory Female Narcissists-Watch Out!

Statistically there is a preponderance of male narcissists but the female ones are gaining ground. Narcissists cause a lot of pain on many levels all the time. As long as a narcissist is working his/her manipulations and deceits successfully, other people are hurting. This includes his spouses and children.

There is a special group of female narcissists who are highly predatory---always on the hunt. They check out their prey with the instincts of a lioness on the Serengeti. They play a variety of roles: sophisticated ladies, sirens in disguise, "I'm your best friend" types, indispensable servants, "call me anytime" gals, etc.

Men have a difficult time understanding how devious some women are, especially narcissistic divas. Too many times I have seen them through the lens of a tour d'force performance. Narcissistic woman selects the power professional--handsome, well educated, high income, socially polished, near the top. She maneuvers herself into meeting him. He finds her dazzling, gorgeous, attentive to him and filled with the right chemistry.Her detailed plan is unfolding. He is enraptured. She cleverly feigns her inability to resist him. The two are inseparable. In a few months she is pregnant. He is surprised but subject to his instincts and impulses. She wants marriage, money and lifestyle. He acquiesces. They marry. For a while it's appear idyllic. Then the worm turns. The marriage begins to falter. (part of her plan) He was so taken with her, there is no prenup. After a while, lawyers are hired. She knows the cleverest ones since she has directed this movie before. She gets more than half of the money and possessions. Narcissistic divas use a living human being they call their child as collateral to ensure their financial security and the success of her enterprise.

Protect yourself from these predatory female narcissists by studying the narcissistic personality in detail and depth. Become aware of your specific weaknesses and past painful experiences with these connivers. Let your intuition override your chemical and visual attraction. Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com 

Sociopathic Narcissists Harm Their Children

The sociopathic narcissist appears in innumerable disguises. Since childhood they are been refining a persona that is magnetic, charming and irresistible to others. They study human nature, understand emotional vulnerabilities and know precisely whom and when to attract those individuals who will fulfill their wishes and desires. Early on this child learned directly from the parent, that life was all about winning in all of its forms--money, prestige, praise, fame, material acquisitions, competing and winning at the top tiers of power. There are parents who program their small children to become successful, compete and defeat others who are in their way and teach them to be ruthless and uncaring as long as they reach their goals. Children are taught to take a "no prisoners" attitude about other human beings. If someone cannot perform for you and get you directly to your goal, discard them. If they are in your way, make their life so miserable that they can no longer compete with you. If they persist, find cunning methods to destroy their reputations, financial security and emotional well being. These lessons are taught early and they resonate deeply in the child.

Some children of sociopathic narcissists have access to an inner part of themselves who intuitively knows that what the parent is demanding of them is wrong and inconsistent with their own nature. I have heard many stories of grown children who bucked the narcissistic parent and suffered the consequences. They were quickly discarded psychologically and cut permanently out of the family circle.

The spouse of the sociopathic narcissist is often complicit through her psychological weakness, her addiction to a certain lifestyle and her fear of being cast out of paradise. She is so distressed and feels incapable of leading an independent life, that she colludes with the sociopathic narcissist who controls the family.

Some children in these families become sociopathic narcissists like mom or dad. After all, this is the family tradition and heritage. They often learn to outdo the parent and become even more ruthless, unethical and conniving than their original teacher. Children in these families who do not follow the "winning at any cost" rules are left on their own without support of any kind. Mother or father won't pay for their educations, demeans them constantly and undermine their individuality and creativity. The pain that these discarded children suffer is extreme. Many of them leave home early in their midteens to look for ways to survive. They are estranged from the siblings that went along with the narcissistic parent, These siblings despise the ones who were cast out and do everything they can to make their lives miserable. There is no opportunity for a "prodigal son or daughter" reunion with the narcissistic parent. The familial doors have been locked and the compound is sealed off.

Those who survive the sociopathic narcissistic parent have a long hard scrabble road ahead of them. I have communicated with these adult children. They endured many psychological and monetary harsh winters of striving to just get the bare necessities. For many, the wounds of childhood are still raw and painful. Others persevere through arduous work and schooling (every cent paid by them alone) to achieve their professional goals. As adults many of these individuals have difficulty finding partners who are supportive and empathic. Some fall in love with narcissists and sociopathic narcissists. They end up repeating the torments of childhood. This demonstrates the depth of pain the child of such parents experienced. They were never protected or cherished or felt special and valued. It is not surprising that they would find partners who would treat them with disrespect, cruelty and contempt.

Some of these adult children break the cycle of self harm and sever their relationship with the sociopathic narcissist. They redefine themselves, develop a sense of self entitlement and renew themselves as individuals who have moved beyond the pain of their family of origin and into a life that they deserve where there is hope, self initiative, inner peace and psychological and emotional freedom. Visit my website: www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com

Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Buy the book: amazon and amazon kindle edition
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com