Through the projective identification process, the parents both interpret and induce behavior in the child to identify with their projections.
3 Comments on Scapegoating: Projective Identification in the Narcissistic Family
#narcissistic family
Dysfunctional, narcissistic families typically feature inequities, and one of the most common forms of inequity is parental favoritism of one child over another. In a survivalist, hierarchical narcissistic family system, there are many reasons parents select a particular child to elevate and another to…
Although narcissists are a popular topic these days, lies about narcissism persist in our “common wisdom” about relationships, families, and social institutions. The lies we tell ourselves and our children may seem reassuring or convenient, but they enable abusers and…
For so many of us, the holidays elicit complex emotions about our core human needs for home, family, love, and belonging. For those with narcissistic family members, this time of year tends to intensify our hopes and fears about fulfilling those needs,…
Abuse in the narcissistic family is typically understood as a set of overbearing behaviors stemming from the narcissist’s outsized self-importance and impaired empathy. Narcissists dominate family members with their excessive neediness, selfish demands, antagonism, hypersensitivity, and unrealistic expectations. But neglect,…
Growing up in a narcissistic family, Ava’s first memory, at three years old, was being beaten across the face with a belt. Her father, a sadistic malignant narcissist, regularly beat her and her two brothers throughout their childhoods. On that…
Estimates range about the prevalence of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), putting it between 0.5 percent and 6.2 percent of the general population. Even if the high estimate is accurate, the likelihood of having a parent or spouse with NPD is…
Published on The Huffington Post on 4/16/2017 You’ve figured out that one or more of your parents are narcissists. They may be hardcore, with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), they may have narcissistic traits, or they may be a complex collection…
Published on The Huffington Post 3/14/2017 7:56 p.m. ET. Perhaps you have known for a while that your partner is narcissistic, or perhaps you are just waking up to this reality. If this is new to you, read everything you can…
Published on The Huffington Post May 25, 2016 This is the second of a two-part series about the role of the so-called golden child in the narcissistic family. (Read Part 1.) The Narcissist’s Idealized Mirror Image Those familiar with narcissistic…