Is S/he a Narcissist? Use These TESTS! (Compilation)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses various personality assessment tests in this section. He talks about the three R’s test, which helps determine whether someone is a full-fledged narcissist or merely narcissistic. He also discusses the characteristics that attract narcissists to potential partners and briefly touches on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality assessment test. He then discusses the weaknesses and criticisms of the MBTI and Jungian theory. Finally, he talks about the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2), the Psychopathy Checklist Revised Test (PCLR), and the Rorschach ink blots test, and notes that personality assessment is more of an art form than a science.
Borderline Bible: Switching to Identity Disturbance, Psychopathic Self-state (Compilation)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the perspective of a person with borderline personality disorder (BPD) towards their intimate partner. He describes two phases in the relationship: the approach phase and the avoidance phase. In the approach phase, the person with BPD sees their partner as their world, savior, and stabilizer of moods. They feel completed and whole with their partner. In the avoidance phase, the person with BPD feels overwhelmed by pain, anticipates abandonment, and may engage in acting out behaviors like cheating or other reckless actions. They may experience dissociation and view their partner as wanting to control or harm them. The cycle of approach and avoidance is compulsive and not mitigated by external factors. Vaknin emphasizes the intense and chaotic nature of relationships with individuals with BPD.
Hijacked by Narcissist’s Serpent Voice? Do THIS!
In this transcript, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the process of separating from a narcissist and reclaiming one’s sense of self. He emphasizes the need to identify and silence the narcissist’s voice in one’s mind, and to reawaken one’s own authentic voice. He warns against premature therapy and the potential for internalized negative voices to collude with the narcissist’s voice.
Personality Disorders: Not What They Seem! (ENGLISH): BOOTLEG Lecture, Corvinus University, Budapest
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the nature of personality disorders, focusing on Cluster B disorders, which include narcissistic, borderline, histrionic, and antisocial personality disorders. He explains that personality disorders are rigid patterns of dysfunction and are difficult to treat. Vaknin criticizes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for its categorical approach and highlights the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for considering personality disorders on a spectrum. He suggests that narcissistic and borderline personality disorders are post-traumatic conditions and emphasizes the importance of understanding trauma in treating these disorders. Vaknin also touches on the concepts of object constancy, introject constancy, and the challenges of attachment in these disorders. He discusses his own models for understanding personality disorders and the difficulty of changing the core issues of narcissism. Vaknin concludes by addressing questions about living with and overcoming narcissism, stating that narcissism is pervasive and essentially a life sentence, with the only real solution being to walk away from relationships with narcissists.
Abuse is Never Love! (With Zoë Verteramo, Indiana University Bloomington)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the importance of love in relationships and the misconceptions surrounding it. He emphasizes that abuse and love are mutually exclusive and that healthy conflict is essential for growth in a relationship. Vaknin also criticizes the modern concept of love, attributing its corruption to societal influences such as dating apps and social media. He highlights the devaluation of intimacy and the commodification of individuals in the digital age.
6 Cluster B Personality Disorders Misconceptions (Conference Presentation)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses six misconceptions about personality disorders in a YouTube video. He explains the differences between codependents and borderlines, the role of abuse in relationships, the distinction between mental illness and mental health, and the characteristics of approach avoidance repetition compulsion and intermittent reinforcement. Additionally, he delves into the emptiness at the core of borderline and narcissistic conditions and how it becomes a choice for individuals with these disorders.
Snapshotting’s Role in Narcissist’s Shared Fantasy
Narcissists have two types of relationships: pseudo intimate relationships and shared fantasies. The narcissist snapshots their intimate partner, introjects them, idealizes the resultant internal object, and then coerces their partner into conforming to this inner representation of them. The narcissist does this in order to push their partner away and complete separation and individuation with the new maternal figure, the intimate partner. The partner’s reactions to this dehumanization and objectification can result in abandonment, triangulation with a third party, or succumbing and becoming a figment in the narcissist’s shared fantasy.
Sex Addiction, Hypersexuality, Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder ( CSBD)
Sex addiction is a real clinical entity, but it is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. It is not the same as promiscuity, as sex addicts often have certain standards and are not indiscriminate in their sexual partner selection. Sex addiction is a compulsion, and many sex addicts are celibate or masturbate excessively. The root of sex addiction is not fully understood, but it is linked to shame and early traumatic experiences. There is no good treatment, and the prognosis is poor.
What Love Is NOT!
Love is an elusive and highly individual experience that cannot be defined. However, it is possible to identify what love is not. Loving someone is not the same as loving the way they love you, loving to be in love, merging with your partner, being dependent on them, or using them to self-soothe. Love is grounded in reality and involves seeing your partner as a separate entity with all their gifts and potentials. It is a give and take with boundaries, compromises, and negotiations towards common goals and values.
New Year on Planet Mental Illness
Mental illness is a state of disconnect, a state of discontinuity and disjointedness. There’s no gyroscope, no core identity, no guiding light, no northern star, no caressing hand, no embrace and no hugs and no warmth and no acceptance and no love. Mental illness is a cancer of the soul. It’s all-consuming. It’s all devouring. It’s merciless. And its advance is unhindered by any external intervention.