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Narcissist and Psychopath Coping Strategies: Submissive Posture

Uploaded 10/8/2010, approx. 5 minute read

I am Sam Vakninand I am the author of Malignant Self-Love: Narcissism Revisited.

This is the first in a series of ten videos about how to survive a relationship with a narcissist and how to cope with a psychopath.


First, it is important to understand that there is nothing special about the body language or behavior patterns of abusers who are not narcissists and psychopaths. Not all abusers suffer from a personality disorder.

Regrettably, most victims find themselves trapped long before they have become aware of any meaningful warning sign.

Also important to remember is that abuse is a multifaceted phenomenon. It is a poisonous cocktail of controlled, cathected conforming to social and cultural norms, and it includes latent sadism.

The abuser seeks to subjugate his victims, but also to look good and save face in front of family and peers.

Many abusers simply enjoy inflicting pain on helpless victims.

My advice to you is to disengage, detach, terminate the relationship, get as far away as you can, but assuming that you want to stay on with your abuser, assuming that you want to maintain this sick relationship, maltreatment can, to some extent, be mitigated, ameliorated, and even avoided.

Abusers react to the slightest provocation, real or imagined, and they react with disproportionate wrath and rage and often violence.

It is therefore important never to openly and repeatedly disagree with your abuser or contradict him. If you do, your abuser is bound to walk away, but only after he has vilified and harmed you in every which way he can.

Abusers feel threatened by real sharing and by common decision making, so never offer your abuser any intimacy. It is a sure way of turning him off and his aggression on.

Abusers perceive intimacy or the offer of intimacy as a prelude to manipulation. Internally, they have a dialogue that says, actually a monologue that says, what is she getting at? What does she really want? What is a hidden agenda?

Abusers are, to some extent, narcissistic. They have narcissistic traits, so admire and adore them openly, but do not lie to them or exaggerate. This would be perceived by them as cunning and will provoke your abuser to feats of paranoia and jealousy.

Look awed by whatever matters to your abuser, for instance by his professional achievements, or by his good looks, or even by his success with other women, but do not overdo it.

The abuser tries to transform his personal space into the exact opposite of his real life. At home, he is the master of a fantasy, of perfection and harmony, and the undisputed recipient of adulation and obeisance.

Any reminder that, in reality, his life is a drab, dead end, subject to a routine, that he is a failure, or a tyrant, or a swindler, or a wannabe, sometimes hated by his own oppressed family, any such reminder, he is likely to be met with unbridled hostility and worse.

Never remind your abuser of life out there, and if you do, connect it somehow to his sense of grandiosity.

Reassure him of the permanence of your obedient and self-sacrificial love to him. Do not make any comment which might directly or indirectly impinge on his self-image, on his omnipotence, judgment, omniscience, skills, capabilities, professional record, or even omnipresence.

He wishes to be godlike. Treat him as such.

Listen attentively to his words, and never disagree or contradict him, or offer your point of view. You are there merely to witness the abuser's train of thought, not to derail it with reminders of your separate and autonomous existence.

Be saintly, be patient, be accommodating, and endlessly giving, with nothing in return. Never let your energy be depleted. Never let your guard down.

Your abuser is likely to be provoked to extremes by signs of your personal autonomy and independence.

So you should conceal your thoughts and plans, make no overt choices, and express no preferences. Never mention your emotions, your needs, your earnings, your wages, your profits, your trust money. Tell him how much you rely on him to reach the right decisions for both of you.

Stay dumb, but not too dumb, or it may provoke his suspicions. It is a thin line between pleasing the abuser and rendering the abuser a raving paranoid. Never give your abuser cause to doubt or suspect you. Surrender all control to him. Deny yourself access to property and funds. Do not socialize. Drop all your friends and hobbies. Quit your job and your studies and confine yourself to your abode.

Your abuser is bound to be virulently jealous and suspect illicit liaisons between you and the least likely persons, your family included.

He is likely to accuse you even of incest. He envies the attention you give to others, even to your common children.

Place him on a pedestal and make sure he notices how you ignore, spurn, and neglect everyone else.

To your abuser, you are an object, no matter how ostensibly revered and cherished one.

Hence, the battering. He monopolizes your time and your mind as well as your body.

Beating upon you is his way of saying, I possess you, your mind. He makes for you even the minutest choices.

What to wear? What to cook for dinner? When and where to go out? And with whom?

In extreme cases, your abuser regards even your body as his to share with others if he sees fit.

It is an honorous existence, consistently tiptoeing on eggshells.

Neither is it invariably successful. The submissive posture delays the more egregious manifestations of abuse but cannot prevent them altogether.

Choosing to live with an abuser is like opting to share a cage with a predator or a nest with a snake.

No matter how domesticated, nature is bound to prevail. You are more likely than not to end up as the abuser's next meal.

Bear that in mind. Remember my advice.

The only way to treat an abuser is not to treat him at all, to disengage, to go away.


And this is the topic of our next video.

If you enjoyed this article, you might like the following:

Narcissist's Victim: NO CONTACT Rules

Professor Sam Vaknin advises victims of narcissism and psychopathy to maintain as much contact with their abuser as the courts, counselors, evaluators, mediators, guardians, or law enforcement officials mandate. However, with the exception of this minimum mandated by the courts, decline any and all gratuitous contact with the narcissist or psychopath. Avoiding contact with the abuser is a form of setting boundaries, and setting boundaries is a form of healing. Be firm, be resolute, but be polite and civil.


Coping Styles: Narcissist Abuses "Loved" Ones Despite Abandonment Anxiety

Narcissists abuse their loved ones to decrease their abandonment anxiety, restore their sense of grandiosity, and test their partner's loyalty. Abuse also serves as a form of behavior modification, as it signals to the partner that they need to modify their behavior to avoid abuse. Coping styles for dealing with abuse include submissiveness, conflicting, mirroring, collusion, and displacement, but some of these styles can be harmful and should be avoided.


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.


Love Your Narcissist? Make Him Stay, Depend on You (Tips, Resolutions)

In a relationship with a narcissist, it is important to know what not to do and what to do to maintain the relationship. Avoid disagreeing, contradicting, or criticizing the narcissist, and never offer intimacy or challenge their self-image. To make the narcissist dependent on you, listen attentively, agree with everything they say, offer something unique, be patient, and be emotionally and financially independent. It is also crucial to know yourself and set personal boundaries, treating yourself with dignity and demanding respect from others. If the relationship becomes abusive, consider going no-contact and ending the relationship for your own well-being.


Narcissist and Psychopath Coping Techniques

The video discusses techniques for coping with narcissistic and psychopathic abusers, including mirroring their behavior, frightening them, luring them, and threatening to abandon them. The most recommended technique is to refuse all contact with the abuser, except for the minimum mandated by the courts. The video also advises watching another video in the series that deals with warning signs and identifying marks to avoid abusive relationships. All techniques should be pursued legally and with caution, as they can backfire and provoke the abuser into violence and aggression.


UP TO YOU How People Treat You: Change Your Messaging, Signaling

Repeatedly finding oneself in abusive or disrespectful situations often stems from how one perceives and treats oneself, as others will mirror that self-perception. Narcissists and psychopaths lack true moral understanding and feel immune to the consequences of their actions, which can lead to toxic dynamics. To change how others treat you, it is essential to cultivate self-respect and project a positive self-image, as people are likely to accept the information you provide about yourself. Ultimately, transforming your self-perception can lead to a shift in how others interact with you, fostering respect and support instead of abuse.


Destroy the Narcissist in Court: Divorce, Custody, and Aftermath

In summary, to effectively handle a narcissist in court during divorce and custody proceedings, it is crucial to remain calm, composed, and fact-based. Focus on exposing the narcissist's grandiosity and vulnerabilities by challenging their self-perception and accomplishments, while avoiding appearing vengeful or malicious. Provoke the narcissist indirectly by hinting at their shortcomings and mediocrity, ultimately leading them to lose control and expose their true nature. Maintain a holistic strategy that takes into account both the legal aspects and the narcissist's off-court life.


How To Love the Narcissist AND Keep Him?

In this video, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses two contradictory solutions to the question of how to love and keep a narcissist. The first solution is to emulate the narcissist's dead mother, which creates a reverse trauma bonding that keeps the narcissist coming back. The second solution is to conform to the snapshot of the narcissist's ideal partner and never deviate from it. However, Vaknin warns that being in a relationship with a narcissist is a form of self-harm and that the narcissist is an absence, chaos, and unadulterated anguish.


Cope with Narcissists: Abandon or Mirror

The best way to cope with a narcissist is to abandon them or threaten to abandon them. The narcissist is a binary person, and the carrot is also the stick in their case. If they get too close to someone emotionally, they fear abandonment and immediately distance themselves, acting cruelly and bringing about the very abandonment they feared. If one chooses to accept the narcissist, to live with them, to remain in an intimate relationship with them, it is a package deal. All their needs, demands, and requirements are included.


Spot a Narcissist or a Psychopath on Your First Date

There are warning signs to identify abusers and narcissists early on in a relationship. One of the first signs is the abuser's tendency to blame others for their mistakes and failures. Other signs include hypersensitivity, eagerness to commit, controlling behavior, patronizing and condescending manner, and devaluing the partner. Abusers may also idealize their partner, have sadistic sexual fantasies, and switch between abusive and loving behavior. Paying attention to body language can also reveal warning signs.

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