The Humility Deficit in Trump and Narcissists
As an expert in shame and its impact on human behavior, I have been keenly aware of a lack of shame among Republican politicians, especially in the past 10 years. Donald Trump, of course, is leading the competition in his complete lack of humility and in his inability...
A Post-Moral America
America is now a post-moral society. This is what I’m going to start calling the era we’re in. That’s because 75 million people clearly believe that immorality is just fine. They support lying (lots of lying!), greed, bullying, venality, sexual assault, bigotry,...
Conspiracy Theories as Narcissistic Blame-shifting
Humans love a good story, especially one where there is an obvious “bad guy” (or woman!) and a hero or heroine who saves the day. We like things clearcut and simple because it helps our brains see and make sense of patterns in our lives. We like certainty and don’t...
We Must Take Child Play Seriously!
As a psychotherapist who uses play therapy with young children, I often get questions about why I do this. I explain that play is the language of children. It is obvious that children cannot come to therapy and discuss in depth with insight the inner workings of their...
Helping Children Manage Shame
Many child emotional and behavioral problems are due to the child not yet learning healthy ways to manage experiences of inadequacy and failure and the associated emotions of guilt, regret, and shame. These are difficult experiences and emotions, so children...
Democrats: Don’t blame Harris or yourself or the campaign. It’s not your fault!
For those struggling with despair and grief after the election, I have no positive thoughts. Neither does Professor Christopher Robichaud, Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy at Harvard University (below).
“Happy” Birthday… Why Do I Dread My Birthday?
Andrea was turning 18, an age when we generally assume a teen is eagerly awaiting becoming an adult. We expect they will look forward to enjoying that feeling of approaching independence and autonomy. Instead, Andrea was dreading this birthday, as she had for all of...
Trump Has Unleashed an Epidemic of Narcissism
Many of my long-time followers know that I wrote a chapter in the 2017 bestseller "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Professionals Assess a President." A 2nd edition with 37 professionals was released in 2019. As we approach yet...
The Fitness Factor on Mental Health
Our bodies are designed to conserve energy — our own energy. The natural physiology of the human body is to try to keep something in the tank for later. This evolutionary trait has significant impact today on our physical and mental health and now may get reported as “depression symptoms,” such as low motivation, inability to complete tasks, procrastination, low energy levels, and general malaise. In actuality, all that is happening is our brain trying to signal us to slow down and save energy for a possible danger — which likely isn’t really needed in today’s very safe world.
Why Does a Narcissist’s Personality Get Worse Later in Life?
Narcissists negatively affect family dynamics in many unhealthy and obvious ways, such as through their emotional instability, control, dominance, abuse, and manipulation. Many behaviors get worse when a matriarch or patriarch dies, because the narcissist is no longer held in check by the parent.