Did you grow up with a narcissistic mother and an enabler father? If so, you probably have conflicting feelings about him. On the one hand, you feel a certain closeness and even sympathy for him. After all, narcissists are incapable of healthy relationships, so they’re often abusive to their spouses as well as their children. […]
Narcissistic Mother
The Upside of Being a Scapegoat Child of a Narcissistic Parent
If you are an adult child of a narcissistic parent, you likely played one of two roles in your family: a golden child or a scapegoat. A golden child is the pride of the family, while the scapegoat occupies a much less enviable role — that of a screwup who can’t do anything right. If […]
The Dark Reality of Being a Golden Child of a Narcissistic Parent
If you have a narcissistic parent, you can play one of two polar opposite roles in your family: golden child or scapegoat. If you’re a golden child, you’re your parent’s favorite little darling and you can do no wrong. In most people’s eyes, this is an enviable position to be in, especially if you consider […]
10 Signs Your Narcissistic Mother is an Emotional Vampire
If you have a narcissistic mother, chances are, she’s also an emotional vampire. Just like mythical vampires, emotional vampires are parasites that feed on others. Here are 10 signs that your mother might be one of these parasitic creatures. What is an Emotional Vampire? An emotional vampire is someone who feeds off other people’s emotional […]
33 Revealing Signs You Have a Narcissistic Parent: The Ultimate List
If you’re a child of a narcissistic parent, it may be challenging for you to see the signs. First, you have no frame of reference for what a “normal” parent is. Second, narcissistic upbringing conditions you to find faults in yourself, not your difficult parent (who’s more likely to be the source of the problem). […]
How to Stop Seeking Love and Validation from Your Narcissistic Parent
As humans, we are programmed to seek love and validation. That need is especially strong during childhood, when we are still forming ideas about who we are (“self-schemas”). But if you had a narcissistic parent, these needs likely went unmet. As a result, you keep seeking that validation from your parent — whether consciously or […]