Psycho-Free Zone

  New Blog Recently, I was considering deleting my blog, but ultimately I decided to switch over from WordPress to a free account instead. I felt like I wasn't reaching anyone; I wasn't getting much traffic, and it felt like I was writing just for myself which is something I can do in a private journal. So when the time came to renew my fees or cancel my blog, I was about to delete the whole thing. Then, I got an email from someone thanking me and encouraging me to keep writing. From time to time I get those, and it is nice to know that that my information was helpful to someone. It's why I started blogging. Abused By A Narcissist I started my original blog because, prior to coming to the realization that I was being psychologically abused by a narcissist , I felt like I was losing my mind, that no one understood, even when I tried to explain. It's like I was trapped with no way to express what I had to deal with on a day to day basis. I couldn’t talk to anyone about it

Unmasked Narcissism Recently, I read an article, written by a mental health professional regarding narcissistic personality disorder, that made a derogatory statement about there being so much information online written by lay-folk regarding personality disorders. My first thought was, yeah, due to having the misfortune of experiencing an NPD at an intimate level, some lay-folk understand narcissism better than certain clinicians . I don’t mean non-professionals should try to diagnose each new acquaintance, but psychologists aren’t infallible, and they, too, may be fooled by a narcissist playing the role of a decent human being. Having the training and a degree doesn’t necessarily mean the therapist learned it correctly or actually knows how to apply the knowledge appropriately. Reading about the traits of personality disorders and psychopathy in textbooks isn’t the same as encountering them in the wild. As far as armchair psychologists go, who better to identify an NPD than someone w

New Beginnings As we start the new year, I was reflecting on my goals for last year, and that got me thinking about how much can happen in a year. A few years ago, my husband and I started a tradition of writing down Happy Thoughts throughout the year and stuffing them into a jar, then we read them to each other during the first few days of the new year. We've been doing that this week, and I'm realizing how much I have to be grateful for, and I don't want to take anything for granted. I grew up in a dysfunctional family , so it astonishes me that it took me as long as it did to recognize it when I found myself entrapped in it in my adult life. What's more puzzling is that, even after my own experience, I didn't see my best friend's (now my husband) Stockholm Syndrome for what it was. In my defense, I was still licking my wounds and trying to make sense of what I had been through. I was also blinded by optimism and a renewed sense of hope. So many people feel