This is a how-to book with practical exercises and recommendations for what to say and do to enhance your emotional autonomy and self-awareness. Every day, Brittany’s mom would complain about Brittany’s grandmother, saying what an awful person she was and how much misery she caused. I’m especially dedicated to finding ways we can heal from this and live our own best lives regardless of her impact. But if you want to start building a happier, more meaningful life for yourself, there’s something crucial you must come to terms with first: you are not the reason your mother behaves hurtfully.

Author Wendy Behary uses her experience as a clinician and a scholar to show readers specific ways to tap into their innate strengths—compassion, empathy, and communication—to relate and converse with someone who lacks those very same traits. Many of these solutions involve managing expectations, establishing boundaries, and maintaining a healthy emotional distance. She does, however, believe that understanding why our parents behave in the manner they do might help us win the battle.If only you were more successful, more generous, more considerate, you’d finally win her approval and have that close relationship with her that you’ve craved all your life. The book begins with Part 1, which divides toxic parents into different categories─ The Controllers, The Inadequate Parents, The Alcoholics, The Sexual Abusers, The Verbal Abusers and The physical Abusers─ with a brief explanation of each.

Adult children of narcissistic parents are often plagued with so much guilt and sense of deep obligation and shame that they feel duty-bound to keep whatever happened in the family secret, even when it is shredding their lives. My husband bought this book, I would personally never have chosen this actual text because it is self-published on a popular therapy topic without footnotes or references. Topics include healing specific techniques (like how to defuse arguments and explore vulnerability), real-world stories from survivors, and informative sections aligned with the DSM-5. Campbell explores new science behind narcissism and offers understanding in treating and dealing with narcissists, from how society shapes them to identifying narcissists in your own relationships.While the emphasis of the book is on coping methods and self-help for dealing with the DNP, the book's goal is also to break the cycle of narcissism that may infiltrate and impair the emotional stability of an adult who has grown up in a DNP setting. Narcissistic mothers teach their daughters that love is not unconditional, that it is given only when they behave in accordance with maternal expectations and whims.

The evidence-based skills in this book will help you heal the scars of growing up with a self-absorbed and narcissistic mother. The Drama of the Gifted Child is a classic book that describes how children raised by narcissists adapt to life, mostly by learning to be attentive to others' needs, often at the cost of their own. As a psychologist, Martinez-Lewi understands how draining a high level narcissist can be, and how liberating it can feel to walk away. If you have a narcissist in your life—whether they’re an acquaintance, coworker, or loved-one—you know that ignoring them is not a viable option. The Narcissistic Mother A - Z delves into the traits, characteristics, and behaviors of narcissistic mothers, using stories and examples from my own narcissistic childhood.It draws a direct line between our childhood wounds on the one hand, and what we seek in a romantic partner on the other, and the way we subconsciously choose a romantic partner in the hopes that they will heal the childhood wounds. When your mother is a narcissist, it can damage and invalidate your sense of self, and leave you with lasting anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, and a relentlessly critical internal voice.