We stood in a crowded bar, but that didn’t stop Amir from waving to the bartender impatiently for a fresh rum and Coke. I watched him flirt with the young woman on the other side of him, a woman he’d met at the hotel pool earlier. He had invited her to meet us after dinner, as if we hadn’t spent the past eighteen months in a passionate relationship together with him whispering to me daily I was the love of his life. Unsure of what to do, I looked around the spacious lobby of the resort, which was tucked garishly...

We can’t leave a narcissist and go no contact until we go through five stages.  Narcissists lure. They lure with promises, flattery, lies and sweet words. [Read Narcissist Love Bombing is Like Poison] The mask shifts with each new person in their sights, adjusting to our likes and dislikes, filling in crevices to become whatever seems to be missing and fulfilling our long-lost dreams. What remains the same, however, is that the true nature of the narcissist remains hidden behind the mask. With that mask, employed skillfully at the outset, the narcissist sets the stage to lure and trap by putting it...

Maybe the narcissist promised to take you on the trip of a lifetime. Or maybe it was your trip originally and the narcissist invited themselves, spinning a tale about how wonderful it would be for the two of you to spend some time together.  Yet what gets sold as a dream can end up turning into a nightmare. Why narcissists ruin vacations, however, isn’t as much of a mystery as it may seem.  Vacations aren’t an exception. Narcissists also have a tendency to ruin other special days, such as anniversaries and birthdays, Valentine’s Day and other holidays. [Read [How Narcissists...

You must still go no-contact when a you’ve been through a narcissist discard.  Let’s get very real. A relationship with a narcissist does not end until you decide it’s over. Focus on those words for a moment. There’s some power in them. We usually hear experts talk about going no-contact when the relationship is still ongoing. We read resources about moving on after being discarded. Yes, survivors in current narcissistic abuse relationships must get the information and support they need to go no-contact. Yes, survivors who are no longer in those relationships must get the information and support they need...

If you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, it’s likely your human rights are being violated. When I was in a relationship with a pathological partner, he never controlled what or when I took care of my basic needs or kept me from talking to others. However, he did exert quite a bit of control over my wardrobe, where I went, who I saw, and with whom I interacted. “I never told you that you couldn’t hang out with your friends!” he would say to me. It was always said in a tone that suggested I was crazy for implicating...

This narcissist dictionary was developed as a comprehensive resource to explain concepts you may encounter while reading about narcissistic abuse.  Many of the terms are used and explained using personal stories of survivors and the most up-to-date research in my book Why Can’t I Just Leave? You can read the first chapter for free right now here:   You can read the first chapter for free right now by clicking here This comprehensive dictionary is a living document and is updated periodically to reflect emerging research and the growing use of terminology for defining narcissism, narcissists, pathological love relationships, coercive control,...

Narcissists and Valentine’s Day can be a recipe for something bad to happen. Valentine’s Day is often a sensitive and dreaded day for many people, regardless of relationship status. Yet narcissists are notorious for ruining big days such as birthdays, anniversaries, and other holidays.  [Read How Narcissists Ruin Holidays] Valentine’s Day, however, is “extra-special.”  Everything about Valentine’s Day is tailor-made for them to wield it as a weapon to inflict maximum pain.  Valentine’s Day can be triggering for those coming out of abusive relationships with narcissists. It’s a day specifically dedicated to the very emotions the narcissist distorted to gain our...