Let’s stop using narcissism as a four-letter word

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By Patricia Gianotti, Psy.D.

You noticed that the word narcissist has morphed into a term of derision and contempt that is easily thrown around at will? But how many people really how many people really understand where the term comes from or what it means? How often have we heard, “Her husband is a narcissist,” or “My boss is such a narcissist!”

Understand narcissism from a clinical perspective requires a little historical background. The clinical etiology of narcissism originated from the Greek myth and was used psychologically to describe relational or environmental circumstances that resulted in one or more of the following:

• Injury or damage to a person’s basic sense of self worth (identity).

• Diminished ability to read other people accurately and fairly (qualities of being a good partner or friend).

• Blind spots in how a person processes information and reality (beliefs and perceptions).

The bottom line is that these “injuries” leave individuals compromised in terms of how well they are able to navigate the world as well as contribute to the world.

Vulnerability to narcissistic wounding generally stems from how we were parented, which leads to the question, “Who among us had a perfect childhood?” Even if you grew up in an environment of economic privilege, did you really have the freedom to be who you wanted to be while being taught to treat others with equal value? Where this question leads is — regardless of our circumstances, we all carry around a little bit of narcissism. So, when it comes to labeling others, instead of seeing the log in the eye of our neighbor, let’s first take the splinter out of our own.

Public opinion has identified the narcissist as someone who is grandiose, self-absorbed, so self-serving, and entitled, that he or she doesn’t believe that “the rules should apply to them.” It is easy to find those people. All we have to do is turn on the news.

But, if we were to adopt a compassionate framework, we would understand that the posture of confidence exhibited by many narcissistically-driven individuals can best be understood as just that, posturing. Even though some actually come to believe that the constructed version of the self is true, somewhere

 

underneath the surface lies a secret fear that they are a fraud or are taking advantage of others and will eventually be exposed.

At the core of most narcissistic behaviors is an underlying feeling of shame. In fact, feelings of shame and uncertainty lie beneath the surface of much of the extreme polarization we are witnessing today, whether the focus is on the political climate, struggles with neighbors, or even closer to home — with families and friends.

From a psychological perspective, most people don’t understand that there is a direct relationship between the narcissistic wounding that occurs when people are misunderstood or marginalized and how quickly this can trigger underlying feelings of shame and the reflexive need to self-protect. When people become triggered, they often become defensive and angry rather than learning to engage in conversations that heal rather than divide us.

As a psychologist, I have found that shame is one of the most difficult emotions to endure, and people try to distance themselves from it at all costs. This distancing behavior can range from: bullying (both kids at school as well as over-bearing bosses), to proving self-worth by trying to be perfect, successful or glamorous, or by escaping from the overbearing pressure to achieve or perform though self-medicating behaviors and addictions.

As long as people don’t see the connection between their underlying fears of being less than and their over- driven need to prove themselves, we will never get off the treadmill of overwork, overspending, over- competition, over-entitlement, and lashing out when we fall short, become frightened or are disappointed.

The good news is that once we see the connection between efforts to prove our value, fear of the others, self-protection, and retaliation, it’s as if we awaken from a hypnotic spell. Our direction becomes clearer. Compassion for others increases.

Shame is the unnamed elephant in the room. Not acknowledging it as a powerful, underlying driver of behavior allows us to continue learned habituated patterns that are destructive and unsustainable. As social psychologist J. A. Whitson (2013) states, “Some of our most dangerous human instincts come from our inability to walk in someone else’s shoes.” Walking in someone else’s shoes is the best antidote to narcissism.

Patricia Gianotti, Psy.D., a licensed psychologist with Woodland Professional Associates, has an expertise in couples and individual therapy; she also leads seminars and retreats on topics that bring spiritual practices into daily living. She is the co-author of a new book “Listening with Purpose: Entry Points into Shame and Narcissistic Vulnerability.”

 

Why Art Matters In The Midst Of Chaos

“In the midst of chaos, I find peace by loving,” Joyce DiDonato says. “I love, and that gets me out of the situation.”

DiDonato joined NPR’s Ari Shapiro to discuss this newest recording, a project she hopes will be a force for healing. “Music, because it goes to the heart and bypasses the brain, can put people in a position to hear another point of view, to be less afraid of it,” she says. Hear their full conversation at the audio link.

Daring Way™ Workshop

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9, 10, 11 September, 2016

Glenmoore, PA

Donna Knudsen is  a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator-Candidate and facilitates Daring Way™ workshops designed for work with individuals, couples, families, work teams and organizational leaders. The Daring Way™ is a highly experiential methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. It can be facilitated in clinical, educational, and professional settings. During the process we explore topics such as vulnerability, courage, shame, and worthiness. We examine the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are holding us back and we identify the new choices and practices that will move us toward more authentic and wholehearted living. The primary focus is on developing shame resilience skills and developing daily practices that transform the way we live, love, parent, and lead.

Further information is available at www.thedaringway.com.

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ABOUT BRENÉ BROWN

The Daring Way™ method is based on the research of Brené Brown, Ph.D. LMSW.  Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past twelve years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Her groundbreaking research has been featured on PBS, NPR, CNN, and Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday.

Brené is the author of two #1 New York Times bestsellers; Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2012), and The Gifts of Imperfection (2010). Brené’s 2010 TEDx Houston talk “The Power of Vulnerability” is one of the top ten most viewed TED talks in the world, with over 14 million viewers.

Further information is available at www.thedaringway.com and www.brenebrown.com.


For more information about individual therapy or counseling, workshops, and training seminars, please Contact Us using the form below.  For customized training, please indicate your goals or interests and we’ll work with you to prepare with a curriculum,  quote and timeline.

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5 Domains of Post Traumatic Growth

Post-traumatic growth is not about returning to or recreating the life you had before trauma; rather, it describes the perspective shifts and choices for positive change that often come in the aftermath of significant trauma. Being steeped in the field of resilience myself, the field of post-traumatic growth overlaps and explores not only what helps people get through life’s difficulties, but what helps them thrive as a result of challenge.

Trauma can be simply described as an experience that overwhelms our capacity to cope, so it is no surprise that much of trauma work involves calling in supports that increase one’s capacity to cope with the stress of the trauma. Whether or not we have these aspects of life in place prior to trauma, they can help us to recover, make meaning, and create positive experiences that, while not changing the traumatic situation, give a sense of meaning and purpose to life as it continues on.

Here are five aspects of post traumatic growth to reflect on:

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/these-5-domains-of-posttraumatic-growth-can-help-you-thrive-0611155