Tag: Guilt

narcissistic mortification

Narcissistic Mortification: From Shame to Healing via Trauma, Fear, and Guilt

The speaker explained narcissistic mortification as the traumatic, terror-inducing collapse of a narcissist’s false self when confronted with reality, often rooted in early object-relational abuse and unmet developmental needs. Mortification can trigger extreme defenses (grandiosity, denial, projection, revenge, or self-blame) and may be reenacted through relationships to recreate primary trauma; if endured and integrated it can allow healing by exposing the false self and enabling shame, guilt, and empathy. Treatment aims to convert overwhelming mortification into bearable shame and re-establish a tolerable self-state, often through controlled retraumatization that opens the possibility of therapeutic reintegration. Narcissistic Mortification: From Shame to Healing via Trauma, Fear, and Guilt

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When Shame, Guilt, Remorse Drive Abuse (Alloplastic Defenses, Reaction Formation, Affect Matching)

The speaker discussed the complex role of shame, guilt, and remorse in abusive behaviors, particularly in individuals with personality disorders such as narcissistic, borderline, histrionic, and psychopathic types. While these emotions typically inhibit misconduct, in certain disordered personalities they paradoxically trigger externalized aggression through mechanisms like aloplastic defenses, effective matching, and reaction formation. The talk highlighted how these negative feelings can fuel abuse by shifting blame, justifying harmful behavior, or projecting emotions onto others. When Shame, Guilt, Remorse Drive Abuse (Alloplastic Defenses, Reaction Formation, Affect Matching)

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