It is with great pleasure that I announce the release of my first work of fiction in over 30 years. While it lacks the imprimatur of a mainstream publisher, I’m nonetheless proud. This re-telling of the classic fairy tale asks the following question: How would Cinderella actually have turned out if she’d grown up surrounded… Continue reading Cinderella: A Tale of Narcissism and Self-Harm
Self-Pity
“Being a victim is more palatable than having to recognize the intrinsic contradictions of one’s own governing philosophy.†— Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October “Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the non-pharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.†— John Gardner “He did not know… Continue reading Self-Pity
The Narcissistic Mother Revisited
I’ve written about narcissistic mothers in two earlier posts, one about my own (mostly bad) mother, and another that differentiates healthy parental pride from narcissistic over-involvement. In particular, I’ve talked about the struggle to find the goodness in mothers who largely failed their children. I focus on this issue not only because it comes up… Continue reading The Narcissistic Mother Revisited
Time Management Problems
I have a good friend, a woman close to my own age, who struggles with time management problems. She usually arrives late for social events and often fails to meet deadlines at work. In her free time, she sets time-related goals for projects that mean a great deal to her and consistently fails to achieve… Continue reading Time Management Problems
Self-Loathing
About 30 years ago during analytic training, my good friend Tom Grant was describing a difficult case in seminar — a man in his mid-30s whom Tom had already been treating for quite some time. Tom’s client came from a severely dysfunctional background that had restricted his ability to feel for and depend upon other… Continue reading Self-Loathing