Author Topic: N.  (Read 4604 times)

Meh

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Re: N.
« Reply #45 on: April 07, 2026, 03:15:41 PM »


Today I have a pre-phone appointment to talk to a therapist who specializes in narcissism.

They want to know what my goals are I think.

- I know working on awareness about personal agency is one of them
- I know that I want to be more aware about the things I can do to be like "higher-functioning" whatever that means
- I know like larger goals are quality of life though I feel I can only work on small goals right now
- I have social anxiety which I am ashamed of
- Sometimes I get stuck and I don't make decisions fast enough and it because a self-sabotage maybe
- Life kind of demands constant pivots and big decisions and I just feel like I can only manage small things
- I do not know if I am being REAL in life or if I am sticking a lot of energy into being fake -- and maybe I just feel this way because last job was high-customer contact and one IS EXPECTED to put on a shell-face.
- Oh the GAD
- The possible ADD
- The big bugaboo -- the covert N has never been diagnosed with Covert N -- I am the only witness in the family -- brother dead and nobody else cares -- The Covert N is basically now starving themselves to death. I have been shoving plates of food into their gross claw hands without making eye contact or saying anything -- they are so pathetic.

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??? 

What are your opinions?  -- What should I talk to the therapist about.
- my rumination....
- my negativity?  -- criticism --

I don't know honestly I think the big things for me are -- agency and learning how to build a 3-D group of friends and support etc.


Meh

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Re: N.
« Reply #46 on: April 07, 2026, 03:21:08 PM »

- It feels like a can of worms.
- Like everything is a "trauma response" --- confusion is a "trauma response" to cognitive dissonance etc.

Meh

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Re: N.
« Reply #47 on: April 07, 2026, 11:30:08 PM »


-- I talked to the person and it went okay. I do wish I was near enough to the person that it could be an in-person counseling session.

-- Had anticipated talking to this therapist person so much that I kept stressing about it as if the perfect magical words could unlock the right therapy.

-- I am tired tonight.

sKePTiKal

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Re: N.
« Reply #48 on: Today at 08:01:18 AM »
Meh, of course you're tired! This kind of work takes a lot of energy - and it's a different kind of energy than what got used when developing your current coping-with-Ns strategy.

Getting some distance from Nism is always step one. It gives a person a chance to relax, which allows seeing different things; thinking different things. Start taking care of yourself - which may feel "fake" along with "who you are" in social/work interactions. (I know work for me, always seemed like a different hat I was wearing, role I was assuming - but in the end, it is one of the "skills" I can wield.)

Therapy seems to work very slowly in the beginning. You do have to give it a fair chance. Best of luck!
Success is never final, failure is never fatal.

Hopalong

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Re: N.
« Reply #49 on: Today at 02:47:44 PM »
Congratulations, Meh. I think you've taken a very important step. (I wrote you a big post but couldn't post it.)

I remember. You'd asked what to focus on and I had a bunch of suggestions: yes to negativity volume, depression, and sharing just how much research and reading you've done as you focused on Nism. One thing I resisted most with a previous (excellent) T was when I'd go and THIS is N right and THIS is N right?

He would kind of "bat" the N label aside as helpful but not important which often freaked me out a little, and guide me into examining my own pain, disappointment and damage or reflexes that resulted from my mother (and others) having that personality disorder. But the reason MY butt was in the chair was really to examine myself and different things I could choose or try in order to heal from the pain of it all.

I feel so hopeful for you. You deserve to give therapy a chance to help.
There's almost nothing in my life I'm more grateful than the chances to heal myself that therapy helped me discover. (And about the temptation to spend the first year picking apart everything the T said, forgot to say, or said because they weren't perfectly insightful or had a tone-deaf moment. Been there, done that and got the Tshirt.)

hugs
Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."