I have browsed through Dr. Vaknin's site(s) a few times. I don't mean to be a skeptic, but I worry about the impact of this guy on vulnerable people who are truly seeking healing from being a victim of narcissism. He is a PHD, and I agree that there is validity to some of his ideas and statements. There are even some helpful resources available through his sites. But Dr. Vaknin's approach seems very "pop-psychologist" to me, and he appears RADICAL in his advertising and statements, it makes me wonder if he is not nurturing his own narcissistic needs (if I am not mistaken, on his old website he admitted to being a recovering narcissist himself).
My experience with mental health care professionals has been that a good therapist is truly objective - and helps you come to your OWN conclusions while providing some clinical explanations of what you may be observing or experiencing. This man appears to put words into one's head such as "evil" and "hell" etc.
This does not appear to me to be a very professional way to help others. For most, it would inspire hatred, anger, even revenge. Doesn't this bother anyone else?
Please, fellow patients, be careful what you read. If you are seeking a real objective explanation of the theory of narcissism, try this book: "Prisoner of Childhood" I will have to get you the author's name later, as it escapes me and I had checked it out from the library. This book was particularly poignient for me, and it is written from several a psychologists' perspectives and studies.
Another good healing book, though not directly related to narcissism, is called "Healing the child within: Discovery and Recovery for adult children of Dysfunctional Families". Not everything in the latter will relate to everyone in every way, but I found that parts of it were VERY pertinent.
I guess whatever works for each individual is best for healing. I just want to say that to breed contempt for the narcissist in your life does not seem like a healthy way to recover. I'll get off my soap box now.
