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It's All My Fault: I Provoked Him

Uploaded 9/27/2011, approx. 3 minute read

My name is Sam Vaknin, and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited.

How often have you heard the following phrases coupled with most horrific, physical, verbal, and psychological abuse?

It's only your fault. You made me do it.

Or, look what you made me do.

Abusers have alloplastic defenses and external locus of control.

Related into proper English, this means that they tend to blame others for their misfortunes, mistakes, and misconduct.

Abusers believe that the world is a hostile place out to get them, and that there is little they can do to mitigate and ameliorate their failures and defeats.

Their acts and choices are brought on by other people's malevolence, negligence, and stupidity.

Abusers regard themselves, therefore, as eternal victims.

The problem starts when the true victims, often the abusers' so-called nearest and dearest, adopt the abusers' point of view and begin to feel guilty and responsible for the abusers' reprehensible behaviors.

This folie deux, laterally in French, madness into some. This shared psychosis is very common.

Victims and abusers form symbolic diets, they abrogate reality, they give up on it, and they share the same delusions.

The abuser and his victim allocate roles. The victim triggers the abuse and deserves it. The abuser is merely a hapless tool devoid of volition and with an absent impulse control.

But why would anyone succumb to such a patently fallacious view of the world? Why would anyone, any victim, assume the guilt for her own torture and maltreatment?

Shared psychosis is a complex phenomenon with numerous psychodynamic roots.

Some victims fear abandonment and would do anything to placate their abusive intimate partners. Other victims grew up in dysfunctional families and they are familiar and comfortable with abuse. Abuse is their comfort zone.

Some victims are simply masochistic. They like the pain inflicted on them. Other victims want to make the relationship work at any cost to themselves.

Fear plays a big part too. Sometimes the only way not to provoke another onslaught of abuse is by playing by the abuser's rules.

So what can you do about it?

Start by realizing a few crucial facts.

And these are facts supported by reams of research and mountain ranges of court decisions.

The victim, not the perpetrator. These should be your mantras.

Your abuser does not love you.

Abuse and love are antonyms. Abuse is never a form of expressing love.

Next, try to figure out why you have acquiesced to your abuser's behavior. Are you anxious that he may abandon you if you stand up for yourself? Are you scared that the abuse may escalate if you resist him? Do you feel helpless? Have you always felt helpless? Or is this learned helplessness encouraged by the abuser in medications?

Are you truly alone? Or do you have supportive friends and family? What about the authorities? Do you trust them to protect you? And if not, why not do you have a bad experience with them?

Analyze a relationship. Can you reframe your roles? Are you sufficiently strong to put a stop to the abuse by opposing conditions, imposing sanctions and acting on infringements?

Is couple therapy an option?

If you have answered no to any of these three questions, you are better off without your abuser.

Start looking for a way out. Plan the getaway in detail. Share your intentions with friends, family and trusted co-workers. Then act on your plan.

Remember, the world never comes to an end when relationships do.

But abuse can, very often does, become deadly.

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Abusive relationships require two people to sustain, and the abuser and the abused form a bond and dependence. Society often refuses to tackle this phenomenon, and people, mostly women, remain in abusive households for various reasons. The abuser treats their spouse as an object, devoid of a separate existence and denuded of distinct needs, preferences, wishes, and priorities. The abuser exploits the vulnerabilities in the psychological make-up of their victim, and abusive behavior often indicates serious underlying psychopathologies.


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Good people often overlook abuse and neglect because it is difficult to tell the abuser and victim apart. The word abuse is ill-defined and open to interpretation, leading to a lack of clear definition. People also tend to avoid unpleasant situations and institutions that deal with anomalies, pain, death, and illness. Abuse is a coping strategy employed by the abuser to reassert control over their life and regain self-confidence. Abuse is a catharsis, and even good people channel their negative emotions onto the victim.


Two Faces Of Narcissistic Abuse Disrespect From Shared Fantasy To Bargaining

Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the dynamics of narcissistic abuse, including the two phases of the shared fantasy and bargaining phase. He explains how narcissists use stickiness to create a shared fantasy with their targets and then extract adulation, abuse, sex, and services. Vaknin also highlights the differences between narcissists and psychopaths and concludes that narcissistic abuse is a choice and a stupid one at that.


Narcissist's Reactions to Abandonment, Separation, and Divorce

Narcissistic abusers often resort to self-delusion when faced with the dissolution of a meaningful relationship. They may adopt a masochistic avoidance solution, punishing themselves for their failure, or construct a delusional narrative in which they are the hero. Some may become antisocial psychopaths, while others develop persecutory delusions and withdraw completely from social contact, becoming schizoids. Finally, some abusers resort to an aggressive stance, becoming verbally, psychologically, and sometimes physically abusive towards loved ones.


Body Language of Narcissistic and Psychopathic Abuser

Abusers exhibit distinct body language that conveys superiority and entitlement, often maintaining a haughty posture while demanding special treatment and privileges. They oscillate between idealizing and devaluing others, displaying exaggerated admiration or hostility based on their perceived status. Abusers are characterized by a self-centered narrative, frequently using language that emphasizes their own achievements while showing little interest in others. Their serious demeanor and lack of empathy allow them to manipulate social interactions, often masking their dysfunction and abusive behavior from the outside world.


Why Childhood Abuse Victims Hate And Are Hated

Victims of childhood abuse tend to hate themselves and provoke others to hate them as well, as they feel more comfortable when despised and rejected. This self-destructive behavior is influenced by the reactions of adults in their environment, shaping their self-states and molding their brains. Abused children develop trauma and post-traumatic conditions due to the reactions of the adults around them. Narcissists, in particular, love to be hated and hate to be loved, fearing intimacy and seeking punishment through provoking negative reactions from others.


Narcissistic Abuser Cons System

Abusers are often able to deceive mental health and social welfare workers, even when the diagnosis is unequivocal. There are four types of mental health and law enforcement professionals and practitioners who can be co-opted by abusers: adulators, ignorant professionals, self-deceivers, and those who are actively deceived. Mental health professionals are often egocentric and emotionally invested in their opinions, and they may pathologize the behavior of victims who disagree with them. Victims of abuse may need to stage a well-calibrated performance to convince therapists that they are the victim.


Why Abuse Survivors are DISBELIEVED: Narcopath’s Double Face (Isolation, Compartmentalization)

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30 Reasons to STAY in Abusive Relationship? NOT!

Professor Sam Vaknin explains why people stay in abusive relationships, including fear, laziness, nostalgia, emotional blackmail, aversion to failure, and a belief that they cannot find anyone better. However, he emphasizes that these reasons are not good enough to stay in an abusive relationship and that people should prioritize their own well-being and happiness. Apologies and promises are not enough to sustain a healthy relationship, and may even be a form of gaslighting if they are intended to skew your perception of reality. Ultimately, the only question to ask is, "Am I happy?" If the answer is no, walk away and don't look back.


How to Survive Dangerous Breakups with Narcissist (with The Matadoras, Lessons and Growth)

Abuse often manifests through various psychological dynamics, with abusers typically well-matched to individuals who are people pleasers or codependent. Key signs of an abusive relationship include disrespect, boundary violations, aggression, control, and unpredictability, which can create a trauma bond between the abuser and victim. Victims can begin to heal by making their experiences public, regaining reality testing, suppressing the abuser's internalized voice, and learning to love themselves again. Effective coping strategies involve focusing on body awareness, maintaining authenticity, and developing a vigilant approach to reality, while minimizing contact with the abuser and educating oneself and others about the dynamics of abuse.

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