The Narcissist's Playbook
Written by Randi Fine, Narcissistic Abuse Expert
Narcissistic Abuse Awareness and Guidance with Randi Fine
Over the many years that I've been engaged in the field of narcissistic abuse recovery I have discovered something remarkable; narcissists far and wide seem to be operating from the same playbook. I don't know who wrote it, when it was written or where a copy could be found, but it must exist because evidence shows time and time again that narcissists are the most unoriginal beings on the planet. They all do and say the same things.
Narcissists may appear human, may even act human, but they actually have more in common with undomesticated animals and insects than they do humankind. Like creatures of the wild they live their lives in survival mode; predators with no empathy on a perpetual hunt for vulnerable prey. And just as a lion on the prowl the execution of victim capturing may vary in detail, but the method of devouring the prey is always the same.
The survivors' stories told to me are outrageous; believable only by those who have experienced the like. Survivors justifiably believe their experience is unique and that their abusers are more deviant than most. The word "malignant" is often used to preface the word "narcissist" because narcissism alone doesn't seem to adequately describe the horror they've experienced.
Any experience had as a victim of narcissistic abuse is truly horrific. And while malignant narcissism does exist, it is rarely applicable to the average situation. Narcissists destroy their targets through mind-games. Malignant narcissists maim and murder. It doesn't get any worse than that. Victims of malignant narcissists rarely survive to tell their story.
The patterns of narcissistic abuse, whether parental, spousal, romantic, work related or otherwise are so predictable I could tell everyone's story before they tell me, though I don't because that is not what survivors want or need from me. They desperately need to be heard, validated and supported--often for the first time ever. And they need a road map for recovery.
As horrendous and outrageous the stories are, as bri