Love Life
Narcissism: A Solar Metaphor
The sun. It is the centre of our solar system. It generates a magnetic field strong enough to repel the majority of dangerous particles from the cosmos, shielding her captive planets. She is beautiful and has been worshipped throughout the centuries. She is fiery and destructive but also brings life – if you are in the right place. But that’s the thing. If you are in the right place. The Goldilocks zone. However, we are not as well-formed as the Earth, with its protective magnetic boundaries, balanced polarities and centrifugal force balancing out the gravitational pull. When we are, all is good. We can thrive and have a healthy life.…
Empath Awakening: How to Stop Absorbing Pain, Stress, and Negative Energy from Others and Start Healing
Another easily accessible read from Kara Lawrence which has the usual blend of helpful checklists as well as explorations of the key concepts of being empathetic. I like that Kara does not simply lay out what an empath is and how they function, but she contrasts this with the opposite personality types of ‘energy vampires’ which come in all shapes and sizes and also goes further to provide a shopping list of techniques you (the empath) can use to protect yourself from said ‘vampires’ and other external factors which can deplete your gifts. Here is an overview of the chapters in the book: Chapter One: Are you empathetic? Understanding these…
Toxic Magnetism: How & Why Empaths Attract Narcissists
This book grew on me the second time through. While it doesn’t go deep into aspects of empath or narcissism, it does provide an eloquent contrast between the two personality styles and why they attract each other. The frequent checklists to help you identify where you are and how you may be being affected are useful tools to help you gain clarity and regain inner strength to rise once more and move forward. The book takes you through the stages of a narcissist/empath relationship, including the steps you may have to take to get out. There is no magic bullet but, based on other books I have read on this…
You Can Thrive After Narcissistic Abuse: The #1 System for Recovering from Toxic Relationships
Having read two other books on narcissism (Narcissist: A Complete Guide to Dealing with a Range of Narcissistic Personalities and The Covert Passive-Aggressive Narcissist: Recognizing the Traits and Finding Healing After Hidden Emotional and Psychological Abuse) I discovered Melania Tonia Evans on YouTube as I was continuing my research into this topic. Melania goes further in this book discussing the various forms of narcissism but takes a different view about how to heal. While Melania recognises that Narcissistic Personality Disorder is very real and very harmful, she puts forward a powerful healing methodology that is based on healing your own wounds and not laying all the blame at the feet…
Narcissistic Abuse
Having read two other books on the topic, this book did not add very much to what I had already read – hence the rating. It is presented in a series of short chapters which very succinctly outline the subject of the chapter and then summarise what you just read. As an audiobook, I found this format repetitive as it sounded like the narrator read the chapter title, then elaborated on it – which in many cases did not feel much longer than the title, then summarised with a rephrasing of the title. It felt more like a list of things and needed more depth for me. Nevertheless, a good…
The Covert Passive-Aggressive Narcissist: Recognizing the Traits and Finding Healing After Hidden Emotional and Psychological Abuse
Although this book looks specifically at covert narcissism (there are multiple types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder), Debbie covers enough ground to discuss other aspects of other narcissistic styles. The book provides a greater depth of understanding and insight into the condition overall as well as the often unseen trauma it can cause to the victims, and how said recipients of the abuse can face up to the narcissist and heal after they go no contact. Debbie uses very affirmative language which helps you understand that she is somebody with great knowledge of this condition, genuinely wants the best for you and helps you believe in yourself again. She speaks from…
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
This book has been in print for 25 years, and the audio version for a good percentage of it. It has become an international phenomenon and has spawned numerous variations for specific sub-sets of people and now boasts an app with a quiz which you can share with your partner to find the best ways to communicate in your languages of love. This is a juggernaut of a book. I am not a psychologist and I respect the work that Gary Chapman has put in to distil years of clinical notes down into a pattern which emphasises 5 different ways we communicate love to each other and explains how we…
Narcissist: A Complete Guide to Dealing with a Range of Narcissistic Personalities
A very short book which reads more like a checklist. Good advice within its pages which provides both an insight into the condition with some actionable points. However, I found it a little light to listen to as an audiobook as each chapter title was mostly followed with a brief paragraph which didn’t seem to say much more than the chapter title. However, in print I’m sure this is a great reference tool. As an entry point to understanding Narcissistic Personality Disorder, this is a good place to start.
