Narcissist’s Family
Narcissists perceive new family members, including siblings, children, and even pets, as threats to their narcissistic supply. They may belittle, hurt, or humiliate them, or retreat into an imaginary world of omnipotence. Some narcissists seek to manipulate new family members to monopolize attention and vicariously obtain narcissistic supply. As siblings or offspring grow older and become critical, the narcissist devalues and discards them, feeling stifled and trapped. The family disintegrates, and the cycle begins anew with the arrival of new family members.
Psychopath Therapy Notes
A therapist writes notes on a first therapy session with a psychopathic patient, John Male, who was referred to therapy by the court as part of a rehabilitation program. John is serving time in prison for grand fraud, which involved hundreds of retired men and women in a dozen states over a period of three years. John shows no remorse for his actions and is contemptuous towards his victims. He is also dismissive of the therapist’s attempts to understand his motivations and needs.
Narcissist Therapy Notes
The notes of a therapist’s first session with a patient diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, Sam V, reveal that he presents with anhedonia and dysphoria, complains of people’s stupidity and selfishness, and is a hermit who fears being mocked and ridiculed. Sam is convinced that people envy him and are out to get him, and he feels that his work is not appreciated because of his elitist nature. He is disarmingly self-aware and readily lists his weaknesses and faults, but only in order to preempt risk scrutiny or to fish for compliments.
Narcissism: Not Self-love!
The narcissist lacks the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy and empathize with others, as they have a false self that devours their true self. They love the image they project onto others and expect others to reflect this image. The narcissist’s feeling of entitlement is not grounded in reality and can easily lead to aggression. The narcissist lacks self-knowledge and lives in an invented world of their own design, making it difficult for them to connect with others and experience mature love.
School Shooting Psychology
Healthy narcissism is common and welcome in adolescence, but it can transform into a malignant form under certain circumstances. Adolescents who are consistently mocked and bullied by peers, role models, and socialization agents are prone to find the core in grandiose fantasies of omnipotence, omniscience, and revenge. Pampered adolescents, who serve as mere extensions of their smothering parents and their unrealistic expectations, are equally liable to develop grandiosity in the sense of entitlement, which are incommensurate with their real-life achievements. In societies that are subjected to terrorism, to crime, to civil unrest, religious strife, economic crisis, immigration, widespread job insecurity, war, rampant corruption, and so on, narcissists come to the fore, they become pillars of the society, and they become
Old-age Narcissist
Narcissists age without grace, unable to accept their fallibility and mortality. They suffer from mental progeria, aging prematurely and finding themselves in a time warp. The longer they live, the more average they become, and the wider the gulf between their pretensions and accomplishments. Few narcissists save for rainy days, and those who succeed in their vocation end up bitterly alone, having squandered the love of family, offspring, and mates.
Narcissistic Supply Deficiency Coping Strategies
Sam Vaknin explains that the grandiosity gap between a narcissist’s self-image and reality is grating on their nerves. As a result, the narcissist resorts to self-delusion, which can lead to various solutions. These include the delusional narrative solution, the antisocial solution, the paranoid schizoid solution, the paranoid aggressive or explosive solution, and the masochistic avoidance solution. Ultimately, the narcissist’s pronounced and public misery and self-pity are compensatory and reinforce their self-esteem against overwhelming convictions of worthlessness.
Bad Therapy for Abuse Victims and Survivors
Therapy for victims and survivors of abuse is not always smooth, with therapists often experiencing counter-transference and struggling to identify with the victim. Male therapists may try to prove themselves as good men, while female therapists may blame the victim for their abuse. Many therapists expect the victim to be aggressive and assertive, leading to premature termination of therapy if they fail to do so. However, good therapy can empower the victim and restore their sense of control over their life. It is crucial to find a therapist that is compatible with the specific victim or survivor of abuse.
Abusive Ex Leverages Children Against You
Abusive ex-partners often use their children to manipulate and control their former partners. They may co-opt their children into aiding and abetting their abusive conduct, using them as bargaining chips or leverage. The abuser may emotionally blackmail the children, threatening to withhold love and affection if they do not comply with their demands. The abuser may also pervert the system, using therapies, marriage counselors, mediators, court-appointed guardians, police officers, and even judges to pathologize the victim and separate them from their sources of emotional sustenance.
Narcissistic Serial and Mass Killers
Serial killers and malignant narcissists share a lack of empathy, grandiose fantasies, and a sense of entitlement. Both objectify people and treat them as extensions of themselves. Serial killers seek to render their victims immobile to avoid abandonment or humiliation, and they believe they are improving their victims by killing them. The narcissist’s life is a repetition complex, and the serial killer’s murders recreate earlier conflicts with meaningful objects. Both represent a dual failure of their own development and of the culture and society they grew in.