Signs of SWITCHING in Narcissists and Borderlines (Read PINNED comment)
Suicide is a form of acting in coupled with acting out (like a temper tantrum), internalized and externalized aggression. It is preceded by switching to another self-state (secondary psychopathy in borderlines and borderline organization in narcissism).
BPD and NPD are prone to switching owing to splitting and self-splitting defenses (previous self-state all bad while new self-state all good), lack of core identity (identity disturbance), and no constellated or integrated self/ego (emptiness or empty schizoid core). They are in constant flux.
When confronted with promise or threat, real, imaginary, anticipated, or recalled.
Responsive to real or anticipated environmental cues (e.g. stress, anxieties, substance abuse, holidays, important events, life crises or traumas, new people, crowds, mortification, medication, even sensa - see Proust).
Preceded by emotional dysregulation (emotional switching - Houben).
Switching: consensual, forced, triggered.
Signs of switching (prodromal phase):
Rigid body posture or pseudo-fainting
Calm before the storm: atypical kindness, reasonableness, submissiveness, conflict aversion
Changes in body self-image
Dramatic change in identity (behaviors, preferences, values, beliefs, emotionality, cognitive style)
Talkativity (hyper-verbalizing), hyperreflexivity (pseudo-psychosis) and hyperactivity followed by a period of subdued, slow motion, hesitant reactivity
Impulsivity
Dissociation
LITERATURE
Houben M, Bohus M, Santangelo PS, Ebner-Priemer U, Trull TJ, Kuppens P. The specificity of emotional switching in borderline personality disorder in comparison to other clinical groups. Personal Disord. 2016 Apr;7(2):198-204. doi: 10.1037/per0000172. Epub 2016 Feb 15. PMID: 26882282; PMCID: PMC4816671.
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In the video, I forget to mention HYPERACTIVITY. From the description: "Talkativity (hyper-verbalizing), hyperreflexivity (pseudo-psychosis) and HYPERACTIVITY followed by a period of subdued, slow motion, hesitant reactivity." Also, BPD and NPD are prone to switching owing to splitting and self-splitting defenses (previous self-state all bad while new self-state all bad).
Wow! I never heard a description like this that fits so precisely my ex-husband and his really weird actions sometimes…! Typically when things did not go his way ( which they often not did if you ask him…) he showed so strange behavior - like falling on the floor over a tiny little thing, and banging his head into the door several times, looking totally “empty”in his face if I afsked what on Earth was going on..?! I simple never understand what was going on in all these strange situations?!? And I have never heard it described before. Although I’ve listened to a lot of videos from you, Sam Vaknin, and others obout narcissism. It is now 3 1/2 years since I moved away from him and I still have a lot of work to do on/within myself and in my dailylife and close relationship-situations, so to speak. It feels like I have been drained off most of my own personality (which I think my parents also never fully saw or encouraged). Thanks for explaining really special subjekt. I now see there was a reason I very often was very confused in my 22 years of marriage…!
@@mirjamhansen2626 jo, thank you for sharing. something I ve understood now, that my ex needed to play a role, when intimacy should come. and when there was a change in our life. I was 20years with him and we have 3 children. I grounded the family, but he always told me, that I am irreal. but I survived. the sad thing is, that they never arrive anyware.
Is it safe to say those who have committed suicide have a mental illness?
@@MarciaB12I'm so sorry 💔. I wish you a better life soon 💕
@@MarciaB12 I am perfectly willing to let you stay with me. I was in a relationship like this twice in my life these people are nuts. I am now a home paid for an extra room in the woods near a big city, and I am in heaven on earth, lonely as hell, but in heaven on earth compared to being with a psychotic nutcase. It’s so hard because you see the infant behind their eyes, but they are simply crazy.
The most disturbing aspect of this is the change in facial expression… it’s LITERALLY like looking at a different person. 👀😮💨
This is exaktly what I said yesterday to my best friend. But if you never saw that on your own, you won‘t believe that this is possible. Very creepy.
@@carinah2212 it makes my stomach turn. 💯
Mask off
@@lordbunbury 🎯
Wow. When I tell people I see this different face on my childhood friend they look at me funny. So glad to see it is a common occurence. I grey rocked this extremely nasty friend after many years giving of her a free pass.
Imagine being a child growing up with a parent who switches/splits on them.
I did, I am 64 she is still here, I am still struggling to understand and heal.
I don’t have to imagine it. I was there
Trust ne you do not want to imagine it.
You have no idea the damage
My ex-husband is NPD and our daughter is Borderline. There is no way I could and can break through all of that. They are now feeding off of each other and I am the "terrible one." I believe he is using her to punish me for breaking away from his abusive behavior. She has totally estranged herself from me. It is devastating to have a child do that, but sadly I am somewhat thankful in a strange way, because it is giving me time to heal and recharge. I cannot tell you my inner damage due to both of them. It has been a very painful road. I hope that doesn't sound awful. Those that have never had a very close or intimate relationship with someone who has a serious mental illness have no idea how it can suck everything out of you until you have nothing left to give. It is a horrific way to "live". I absolutely love my daughter, and I will continue to send her notes and messages, but I have decided it is better to just wait.
You have to get out of that cycle. I have experienced the same thing. Get a good counselor that is experienced in cluster B.
So sad! My mother is NPD/ histrionic, and my sister checks all the boxes of borderline, with narcissistic traits and has psychotic rages. It has completely sucked the life out of me to deal with these two my whole life! My sister is older, and has done some abhorrent things to me through my life; extremely invasive and destructive. She is dangerous! I’ve gone n/c with her….which ramped her revenge tactics. It’s harder when it’s family; and would be even harder to deal with if it’s your child. Narcissists will pin everyone against you…including your own children. Prayers for you and your daughter. I hope she sees the light and comes back around. 🙏. Keep healing 🥰
@@Langolin1998 Thank you. I'm so sorry to hear all you have gone through. That is so much for one person to endure. I was abused as a child and I know it lead to my bad decision in marrying my ex. I pray you find healing so you can stop the cycle in your own life. It is mind-blowing how much damage can be done to you, even damage you are not so aware of. Take care of yourself.
I just call them out and tell them how I wish them luck because life doesn't work that way. I finally found a very good psychologist to check myself.😂😂😂
@@eeveecat2158I’m going to try to keep it simple like this thanks for the inspiration
If you keep finding yourself in toxic relationships you really need to stop looking at why other people do what they do and stop, take a break, be kind to yourself and work on you and what makes you tick.
Forreal. I have finally realized this about myself and my friend just rants while she’s drunk. Idk how to help her to stop and just focus on herself
❤🍎👑🧠👑🍎❤️
The bee'coming 2-gather. ❤
It's me. PTSD. All flashbacks. Not blaming my father but my mom died when I was 17. He wanted me to sleep in his bed when I had a panic attack. Later he told me let's call the girls!! I was so divided. I was a girl only 19. Yet I wish I could have said. What the hell are u talking about. You weirdo. I was only 19. He also got drunk and I remember this so much. He was grieving his wife's death. But drunk. He tried to hug me and kiss me and called me his wife's name. I remember like yesterday. I who was a young adult, thought. Should I kiss him and pretend I'm my mother cause he is hurting so badly, or should I save me. I pushed him away and saved me.
Right decision. Do Not feel guilty. Get Help.
I'm so sorry. This is extremely traumatic.
It’s awful I’m a survivor of being with a person like this, I could see and feel the entire energy change it’s chilling to the bone even the pupils change!
Pupils are being so black and big. Now I remember... People sometimes thought that he is on drugs
Yup. Eyes change. Psychopathic stare.
Absolutely. Posture, voice (she would go from 'perky gal' and graduate into vocal fry kid from "The Shinning." ... Then the throwing of things would ensue. Thankfully, I ended it after just five months, but, yeah... I've never been fearful of a 110 pound anyone, let alone woman!
Yes yes yes
People often talk about the pupils going big and black but I see the opposite - turn to pin holes... freaky
Do you guys saw "ironic smile" switching? when for example in response to your question, a fast smirk appearred and you felt as if they laugh about you?
yes, I have seen this when I was briefly getting to know a person with narcissistic and borderline traits. It's a really disconcerting thing to witness.
During a night out with my ex partner with BPD, she split and decompensated at a bar. She up and walked out irate and callously because I caught her sexting another man while we were IN the bar. When I finally took her home, I went to kiss her goodnight. She withheld purposefully, and she saw my face turn to tears. In response she smiled. I’m so glad I’m far away from that hellscape of a relationship and learning to build and protect myself.
Update, I am no longer with him. Turned out my intuition was telling me the truth. I even received such feedback from him that I cannot comprehand how he could say to me I love you when he is telling me and showing me his true intentiona and carelessness. Not listening to me and what are my needs. It feels so good now. I feel like a big weight came off my chest.
@@kingagrad3436 @samsamsammy2013. Runnnnnnn. Fast. Save yourself! Save your future kids. Save your future self. Just say no!
@@kingagrad3436 ❤ Stay strong.
I just escaped the toxicity of a narcissistic likely BPD or something similar - love bombing to devastatingly toxic "f you f you f you" and back to " I love you and want you forever" within a 30 min span. EXHAUSTING AND TERRIFYING!!!
Same here. Went along with it for nearly ten years. Wasn't worth it.
Drastic mood change and no permance of attachment....truly a sign of mental disorder. We normal people deserve a safe environment. With a healthy partner who consistently loves us and unchanging feelings
Good lord sounds like my last relationship …fucking AWFUL
@@mpro9446 unfortunately, if the person has emotional dysregulation, is a sign of mental health problem When moods drastically change everyday as the wind blows. Let that person see a psychiatrist
The Love Bomb to Toxic is real, and so wildly manipulative. One feels as though you must fix something with yourself/behavior. Glad you are on to new chapters.
As a borderline myself, it’s kind of hard to wrap my head around this … I have to watch again . I’m trying to educate myself on my mental illness for the first time in decades
I have wondered about this for years. I witnessed this duality in my late mother, and two other people, and I have told my brother about this switch for years. It was very scary, because you never knew what state she would be in. It felt so unsafe as a child, because of the unpredictability of who you were dealing with. So you never knew what behaviors on your part were safe. I had to be extremely hypervigilant, fearing who might pop out next.
Yeah leads to a lot of people pleasing because you don't want the switcheroo when you don't act "right."
Yeah, but what you don't realize until years later is that it has nothing to do with you pleasing them or not. They just have a mental issue. And it is possession. @@Lion-rf8xi
In my family we called this “reading the room”. I’m the oldest of five, so I got the undistracted version. It’s why I have dissociative amnesia. Constantly hyper vigilant and terrified.
I never brought friends home as in other girls from high school for girl stuff, I was near like that. But when I was in college I did bring a friend home so we could do stuff for class and she thought mum had multiple personalities syndrome I know it's called something else nowadays but ironically her mum is a narc too and she no longer sees her either.
I think they are the same person except that they are using a different behavior to control you. And they switch it to the sweet face to trap you back in. So you are always thinking about not triggering the dark side and the narcissistic is getting a high off controlling you. To them it is just a power game.
My mom did this. Never knew what she would be when she got home from work.
This behaviour conditions us and we become codependent
The stomach drop when you hear them coming through the front door 🤢
I have BPD and when I split I feel hate rage and anger from feeling misunderstood and then I think sad thoughts like everyone life around me would be bet if I wasn’t around. In the moment I’m convinced of so many things and so paranoid ppl will backstab/betray me. Not always but at least 7/10.
I do that! All good or all bad. I hate it. So annoying! I also wonder if I’m a narcissist. Idk how I can tell. My ID is wobbly when I’m dating someone or live with someone. I become and do everything but what I want. :( Idky I need help!!! I do that about love. I want love SO bad but feel like I get betrayal, lies, control etc. I get scared and distance myself then I feel lonely.fear of abandonment and rejection bad! Also when I recall I feel like I’m in the trauma again! :( I don’t wanna be triggered by love or see things as good or bad. ): I cry and scream when I’m upset. Then shame and guilt. I feel like a 5 year old but I’m scared. I dissociate to help. I’ll procrastinate (I have ADHD) then freak out when I’m rushing. 😞 I do that about my body. I do not like the reckless/impulsive behavior. This mostly happens when I’m rejected, abandoned. Or homeless. The gaps are HORRIBLE! Especially if ur scared ppl using that to their advantage.
If it gets worse before the period I highly recommend researching Zoloft for PMDD. It healed mine and I stopped destroying myself immediately.
If it gets worse before the period I highly recommend researching Zoloft for PMDD. It healed mine and I stopped destroying myself immediately.
I recommend finding someone who is a specialist in personality disorders! Specifically in BPD and NPD. They can give you all kinds of tools to help out. Best of luck and security on your journey stranger!
@@courtneys4568you spoke my words. Omg. Just broke up with my girlfriend over this, because I freaked out
I saw my husband switch. It was very disorienting and confusing and it took me years to figure out what was wrong with him (borderline). Watching this makes total sense of the period of time. He went from ponytail-wearing far left liberal antiwar protester to full-on MAGA cowboy boot and buzz cut. During the transition he attempted suicide and ended up hospitalized and talking about how the CIA was watching him. It was this transformation that led me to realize he has no core identity or morality. Also, during our whole marriage I could see his face change from the pleasant, easy-going man to the man who was angry and paranoid and was about to attack me in some way (thankfully never physically). What a mind trip.
When he switched it was the most disturbing vibration. Even people near us would leave. And I would be in flight or fight mode.
The day I saw his eyes glaze over as he crashed me and my son in the car at full speed was when I saw the switch and I'll never forget it. He was gone. Never was there really.
Yeah… they don’t have a core self… They are a shadow of a shadow. A copy of a copy. All of whom they mostly hate… don’t get caught in the crossfire…
I’ve experienced this on a date. The guy’s facial expressions changed so much he literally looked like a different person! His entire voice changed too. It was so freaky! He kept this personality for a few weeks then switched back. I called him out in the switch in behavior and he used it as an excuse to end things. It was such a creepy experience.
So glad it was just one date!!!
Yep of course they can’t stand when people catch on.
@@Addeasethey can’t stand to be judged for their disorder, when they are trying to live normal lives.
Lucky escape for you. It’s hell being in a relationship with a borderline. And you can’t love them enough to help or fix or save them. Run.
@@Addease I don't understand how you were being "judgmental". But I agree, the thing that narcs fear the most is being seen.
I’m not officially diagnosed but from what I’m learning in most recent years. I’m definitely narcissistic and borderline. I exhaust myself let alone the people around me who deal with me.
Me too,sad situation
You do not sound like a narcissist
@@MichaelDG2023People with NPD never accept that they have problems, not alone looking for solutions.
Narcissists have no self awareness. I doubt you're a narc
Borderline if you feel guilt for being narcissistic. A Narcissist feels no guilt. (Almost all people behave a little narcissistic at times, especially if they were raised around it.)
Dear Professor Vaknin, I am diagnosed with CPTSD after a lifetime of terror and a long list of abusers. I have learned a lot from you however this piece is the most profound of all to me. Hypervigilance learned from childhood and throughout my lifetime, means I am highly alert to 'switching' events. You have explained precisely what I needed to know to describe my own emotions and reactions when people are switching. I relate every single thing you talk about to either one or more of the vile people through my life. This information is possibly the last piece of the puzzle I needed to understand my life's trauma because I didn't have the language to describe such things. I saw these things, I felt them, I knew what was happening but that word 'switching' was the one I needed. Thank you.
Only after watching this video just now, do I feel as though for ONCE in my life, someone else (Prof. Vaknin) 'gets' me and what's going on in my head. I've never felt so "understood"! Perhaps that sounds weird but I was diagnosed (61 yr male) with BPD around 1992, by a psychologist, however was given no indication that it was going to wreak havoc for me the rest of my life... I'm just now beginning to understand what/why/how and when I operate and what makes me tick or 'schtick'...becoming homeless and broke and rather destitute has added a whole new dimension, however crossing paths with other mental health 'citizens' does not always have to be crises...love and kindness and stability was missing for the bulk of us when we were young... We can practice it amongst any one of us at any time, and by maintaining and respecting one another's personal space, we all give each other another opportunity to grow...it really is like starting life over again in so many ways...each day, every day, and sometimes several times per day...praise the animals, sunshine and good things that warm our hearts and re-fill us with kindness ❤
I think you’re both probably sick in the head and looking for attention. Imo
I'd love to hear a dialogue between you and Gabor Mate
He'll yes. That would be dope
Voting for that!
That would be e amazing!
me too
YES YES YES !
...the person changed.. literally, his posture, his demeanor, his face and his voice..I will never forget it.
Great video! Scary that I'm 62 years old and am just now understanding this stuff. Looking back over my life, certain situations make way more sense seeing it in this new light. Wished I had these tools four decades ago.
I started to study psychology and everything in my life makes sense now. I find unswear to everything I was questioning!
You’re not the only one discovering and realising these things at a later age. Better late than never though… God bless! 🩵🙏🏻🕊️
I’m right there with you sister!😉👍🏻 I’m 61 yrs old and after my divorce 14 years ago I went back to school for Clinical SW and when I learned all about Personality Disorders it was truly an epiphany, an eye opening revelation for sure! I can’t tell you the journey I have had as it has truly been an awakening and an enlightening experience to say the least. I feel God brought me through each step of this journey to where I was finally brought to a crossroad where I could continue to enable, accept, and tolerate these toxic behaviors and betrayals or I could say enough is enough. I have researched these disorders to the point where I should have a PHD on the subject by now. 😂 Since then I have put up firmer boundaries and the people in my life who I truly love more than anything are well aware that I’m not the same person and that I am no longer a participant in a game I was evidently playing unknowingly. Have some people that I have deeply cared for fallen away? Absolutely, and that saddens me terribly but I really do feel God opened my eyes so that I’ve been able to help so many that have been going through the same situations and that are absolutely heartbroken and crushed just as I have been through this whole ordeal. Now that God has awakened me I can’t unsee what I’ve seen so he freed me in so many ways. I have made it my mission to break this generational curse in my life by any means possible. My family members know that they will either have to come correct and treat me with the unconditional love and respect I have always given them or I will have to love them from afar as they can no longer bring their toxicity into my life if they want to continue to be a part of my life. God doesn’t say we are to be doormats to others and that unconditional love does not mean unconditional tolerance. Its also not ok to continue to make them a priority while they want to treat you like an option. Healthy relationships have to be reciprocal or it isn’t love. I just pray they all become self aware of their destructive behaviors so they don’t continue to sabotage any loving and healthy relationships they may have now or in the future. Like you I wish I had learned these things so much sooner in life but then I wouldn’t have made the same decisions and I would have missed out on all of the important lessons that I was meant to learn as it was in God’s timing when I was meant to learn them. Life is a struggle no matter the obstacles that one may be dealing with and it has always been through my struggles that I have realized that it was my faith in God that comforted me and brought me through all of them to my good, but more importantly brought me closer to him.🙏🏻❤️☺️ May God bless you and your family and may he bring you peace!🙏🏻❤️☮️
@@tracyfox466”I have researched these disorders to the point I should have a PHD” this a the biggest red flag that you’re searching to explain or excuse (or both) your own behaviors & role in your own personal dynamic. Seek PROFESSIONAL HELP, or ACTUALLY OBTAIN A CERTIFIED PHD before coming to your own conclusions.
I woke to the reality of how NPD people have harmed me in my 50s. Like another person said here, better late than never. Now is the time to heal and enter into authentic healthy relationships being sure you spot narcissists before you get sucked into it all again as there are different styles and types of narcissists. The Royal We is an excellent channel here on YT to help you do these things. God Bless.
I'm extremely tired of studying. Not only my family, it looks like the whole fucking city is narcissistic. I give up.
People need a deliverance ministry
Than we need a couple of thousands of priests...@@sheilaminkin9092
I dated someone with BPD for over two years and it ruined love for me. He wanted me to operate from a place of fear like he was, so I wouldn’t leave him. It was living hell and a massive battle but I’m so glad I got out.
My ex was NPD and a cocaine addict. I witnessed him switch or what looked like cycling through personalities so frequently that it was not only disorienting but sometimes downright scary. I had no idea of the mental illness or drug addiction because he kept his drug life hidden. In 10 years of marriage I never saw him use but he did nonchalantly admit it to a doctor in front of me. He almost seemed to brag about it. Needless to say the marriage was a nightmare and very scaring for me. I’m just relieved that I woke up and left him when I did. Switching is definitely a real defense mechanism that I can say I am starting to understand now being a safe distance from it all.
My son is BPD. No getting out for me. He is BPD and very lovable. The most kind empathetic person especially to developmentally challenged people or animals and people who he loves and love him. He feels such guilt for the times he switches and completely tears us into tiny pieces. He cries and totally removes himself from other people. Feeling complete empathy for those he hurt. He removes himself for months, being completely alone, because he can't bear to hurt us again. It's such a sad state of affairs for us and for him.😢
I locked myself in a room to escape the terror I felt. He was trying to break down the door while screaming and threatened me. I called his best friend and told him I think my ex was having a psychotic break. It all started when I tried to address his addictions.
I spent so much time in bathrooms trying to hide from the worst rages of my ex BPD gf. I choose to laugh abt it now rather than cry lol
I hope you have left him now. It will only get worse and take much longer for you to heal. I'm 3 years out and still have PTSD and struggle with everyday chores ❤
Best out of that one.
Sam, thank you ! One of the best videos I’ve seen . I needed to understand this , I’ve been confused about this for about a year. It was terrifying to experience. I literally felt it was a stranger in his body. The eyes changed dramatically. Hope to hear more on this subject and related topics.
@@zenmaiden1can you describe the eyes? It’s literally the same things everyone says- the eyes change
I feel like my ex switched between borderline - narcissistic - psychopath. He is the most destructive I've ever met. I will never be the same again. I lost myself completely and have trouble finding my footing in life. He got diagnosed after our relationship and now no contact for a year except court proceedings for his violence against me 🙄
I get therapy. Going on 3 y have recently switched to EMDR. I dissociate a lot. The most scary part is that he still controls me to this day. Realized that recently 😅. Why I'm telling you my story is to warn everyone I can to the harm of coercive control!!! It is sneaky, you slowly get brainwashed and it goes mostly undetected and before you know it someone else controls your mind and your body!!! And they don't even have to be physically with you!! Suddenly you are isolated and have stopped all social interactions. Even your job and with your family. You wear the clothes he tells you to wear. You become their therapist. You cover for them if the police come. You are always available to the second to answer texts or calls. You do what they tell you to do…. It is crazy!!! They slowly push your boundaries so you get used to it. It starts with hidden insults that are hard to call out… Because “they love you so much!” Then in a rage if you have said no or don't comply with their wishes, they destroy the property around you. (this is their warning for what is about to come to you if you stay) Then physical injuries that are just accidents because “they love you so much! They would never hurt you on purpose…!” (that's a lie bc most of them are sadists) How would you know? You don't think that way! Well.. you are not them. They think differently. YOU ARE NOT THEM!! Don't ever judge anyone else after yourself because you will never know what anyone else thinks or what's their goal. Love for you can be very different from that love is for another. It can mean empathy, kindness, compassion, understanding, loyalty, openness and vulnerability for you. For another it can mean pain, disloyalty, manipulation and deceit. It all depends on how you were taught in childhood how love is supposed to feel. It can happen to anyone to be controlled. I was a successful entrepreneur, 40 y and have been a “beauty queen”, highly educated and considered strong and intelligent. This means absolutely nothing!!! I was starving for love, adventure and attention… and boy didn't I get just that…. in the beginning. Bc this is what malignant manipulators are professional at doing. To manipulate what they want. They are chameleons and goal-oriented like no others. Without no effort they become your soul mate. To be able to be who they really are they want the relationship to evolve quickly so they want to move in rather soon, get engaged or married or get you pregnant. That! Will make them hard to get rid of and preferably in your life forever. No.1 say No! and see how they react. Do they get angry or try to persuade you? Let them go! They don't respect your boundaries even though you don't know each other, then they will never respect them!! No.2 Never listen to what they say bc love for them can be very different from how you perceive love. If they say “I love you “ don't mean shit if they don't back it up with appropriate BEHAVIOR!!!! No.3. Take your time. Do not rush into marriage OR CHILDREN. Bc that will get you stuck with a person for life you don't even know. Wait at least a year or two to watch behavior and consistency. Many lessons were learned.
I think something similar about my x but he will not see a psych doc cuz theyre all hacks. I'm so traumatized I have not been in a relationship since.
ypur right you wont be the same ever again. you will be stronger and wiser more understanding and accepting of people once you heal the wounds. just focus on healing not the parts of yourself you abandoned while dealing w these people. recovery and thriving is possible but you gta pur the work in. the truth is you allowed it all to happen. yes you are not responsible for others actions but you chose to stuck around and allow the behavior to continue.
I can relate….. I feel lost sometimes….
And ur NOT ALONE. ❤ same.
It’s mind boggling. I mean we all act differently at times but at your core you’re the same person. So narcissists can be anyone and change frequently but have no core personality to return to? 🤯
Sure they do…the young child or toddler taught shame.
Yes or the core of themselves they hate and hide forever. If you see it, they flee.
Yes or the core of themselves they hate and hide forever. If you see it, they flee.
@@janebeatty9472 this exactly. My ex was also an alcoholic and the more drunk he got he would actually pout like a toddler and call himself a monster. Even when sober, the way he hugged was very much like a child - a tight squeeze.
the one I just left, i saw how he changed his personality depending on who he was with. it was like that was where he found his personality through the people he is with....never seen anything like it.
I thought my narcissistic ex girlfriend had dissociative identity disorder because she was literally acting like a different person "catfishing" other people online. Different name, values and everything. I was so confused. Why would someone do this? I knew something was off with her when I found out. But I just didn't get it why she was doing this. All of the sudden she became a people pleaser trying to make sure I didn't leave. She even had disorganised speech patterns. Now being a wiser man I understand it was a way to get narcissistic supply!!!
Narcissists mirror the person that they are luring. When they lured you they were mirroring you. You fell in love with You.
This is why I've had such a hard time trying to determine if my wife has NPD, BPD, DID, or schizophrenia. I've seen her exhibit what looks like all of these many times over the years. This one video explains my whole life for the past 16 years. It makes everything make sense.
crazy, i’ve been trying to determine which one of those I myself have .
@@leilam1010 Well, according to this video, it may very well be NPD, since it is known to manifest in all those other ways.
So schizophrenia is a thought disorder. If you can hold a decent conversation with your wife then it’s probably not this one. A good test is to ask her what a parable means- ie. “what does ‘loose lips sink ships’ mean?”. Schizophrenics cannot answer this; they either say something about lips actually being loose (no abstract thought) or they start saying something completely off topic. Many many disorders cause delusions or hallucinations. Hope this helps.
@@ameliakennemerMy wife can't hold a conversation anymore. Absolutely nothing she says makes sense. Just random ramblings that go from one morbid topic to another.
@@danbrooks2874 unfortunately sounds more like schizophrenia/ schizoaffective disorder. I’m sorry you’re going through that. I don’t think people realize how difficult it is. I hope you have or find support.
Okay... I am in a close friendship with a person with bpd. We have been friends for 3 years now. I have witnessed her changing and sometimes it is quite difficult. But they are not a demon, they are not a psychotic monsters or a non-person. They have their problems and sometimes it might be hard to deal with for friends and family, but they are just as human and complex as any other indivudual and it is definitely possible to have a meaningful relationship with them. Especially if they receive appropriate psychiatric help.
You've only been in that relationship for 3 years. I'm sorry but you don't know what you're talking about. Wait until it's 23 years... you'll be so sick of her.
Idk about borderline but he was also speaking about narcissists, and "demonic" is definitely a way that many would describe them. They will destroy you from the inside, out. Obviously they are human. Religious people may not think so, but their behaviors at times could only be described as demonic. I think he was more referring to the narcissist than to the BPD. I doubt most people think they are actually demons.
Very psychopath-sympathizer of you to assume they seek therapy or proper help.
@@whatsboredom9133its called having humanity. It seems youve allowed those who struggle with their own to take yours :/
I also had a 3 year friendship relationship with someone with personaility and mood issues. Her family life wasn't good (functionally drunk parents) and she was autistic. Years 4 and 5 were hell while I was trapped under the same roof away at college.
I have a Sibling who was showing signs/symptoms of BPD/Narcism at age 3. Worsening over the years to the point that all her siblings have shut her out. We were the problem & blamed everyone else. She is now in her 50’s. Seeking therapy in my upbringing was a sign of weakness. I really wish she’d get the help now.
My mother would go into a rage and switch. Her face would completely change, including her eye color. The first time I realized this she had just physically attacked me, blindsiding me with a radio to my face. She fell on the floor, started crawling across the floor like a crab, fingers and face contorted, drooling and screeching, to pull the phone cord out of the wall so I could not call for help. After she switched back, she had no recollection. I eventually realized that she would go into a fuge state when she would lose it. . I was the only one in the family that experienced this with the exception of once by her sister. She asked me once if I had ever seen mom’s face change. I knew instantly what had happened.
I grew up with a mother just like this and even into adulthood the eyes and I feel it's demonic possession and very scary. I went low contact. No contact was made worse .
Honestly, i can't thank you enough. I didn't know how to describe this to my family. The word 'switch ' says it all. I used to tell my sister that i think I'm married to multiple people, because my x would switch every 2 weeks. I lived with him for 16 years. I thought i could endure but nahhh, i was dying in silence.
Dear God... there's no end to it, is there? This explains why I suspected Borderline 10 years ago, and more recently NPD... (but also still see Borderline in there) it's like living on the other side of the looking glass. I haven't dared bring it up with any mental health professional because it's so hard to find people that actually understand what partners in our position are dealing with.
BPD and NPD have several overlapping symptoms so you could very well have been dealing with a borderline narcissist. My fiancée was diagnosed with BPD so a lot of what's said in this channel makes a lot more sense but now I'm starting to wonder if my partner is also as such. I'm no psychologist but the thought terrifies me to the core to even suggest she be tested professionally for NPD. It's been 8 years. Not all of it was a living hell but the last 4 years have been especially difficult because the pandemic basically finalized her isolation from friends that have known her longer than I and to a certain extent I also became isolated from my circle of friends but I still have my gaming buddies I regularly talk with because gaming is my hobby and in a way the only real space I can feel safe and escape.
My ex step mom did this. She started out to be a loving doting wife to my dad. Once his life expectancy was extended (he was expected to live 7-10 years, at about 15 years after his diagnosis), she became mean to the man she once pretended to love. Once he stopped bending over backwards to her every need, she treated him like garbage. And she would treat me even worse to get under his skin. I have never heard a person growl, like a vicious dog, like she did to him, when talking about me.
in the phase my exhusband has left me and went to another women, he changed voice.
Mine started wearing cologne after having met and married him while he actually had a strong dislike of perfumes and making himself smell good for the 12+ years I knew him and changed his entire wardrobe and political beliefs (went from liberal to republicans almost overnight, the biggest WTF moment for me). I was under the impression he was rebelling from his hardcore upbringing as a Jehovah Witnesses elders son (like a priests son). He was rude and ungrateful when his late dad would gift him colognes because his dad was practically a metrosexual who loved looking and smelling his best. Turns out it wasn’t just a rebellious nature, he had switched with me (I am not a Witness and would’ve never even married him had he told me about his religious background when we met and got engaged- yes, he was playing a fake version of himself when I met him…we know there’s no actual real version of them now). He also started wearing tight bright funky colors and clothes that his conservative father would’ve deemed flamboyant or downright ‘gay’ and he grew out a huge and ugly beard that was his pride and joy- after spending his whole life not being able to have facial hair because of his religion and never caring much about his clothes or appearance (he had been excommunicated by the time we met in 2009, so again I figured it was him rebelling in his real self. And I always supported him like an idiot). He even used to make fun of even our ‘friends’ because he thought Starbucks was lame mainstream garbage and he would randomly ridicule Starbucks lovers. Now he goes to Starbucks at least 3x a day with his new family (according to my older kids from 3-4 years ago because we had no choice but to go NC) But based on everything else I know and had other people corroborate about him, his ultimate form is just probably a closeted homosexual and that’s why he’s repeating his fathers habits of getting various women pregnant without actually being a father. He has a beard, and his new family is also a beard, if you know what I mean. That’s probably why his psyche broke so hard in childhood. He was most likely coming to terms with his own homosexual tendencies and his giant pride and small self-esteem (again, all corroborated so not my own opinions) gave in to his dads whims when he was alive until he died. Submissive mom that catered to him like a golden child (he actually called himself that), devalued and controlled the same way he attempted to do with me the way his father taught him to. His father also had a dad who was a staunch homophobe and limited his entire life based on stupid ignorant rules even though he wasn’t religious growing up, himself. So yea…make sense he found comfort in a restrictive and cult-like religion and all to raise his family but you can’t blame religion entirely because it only goes so far with them. Religion came after the fact. It was all some cluster b clusterf*** of a family. And It all made sense once I learned about this stuff. Also, can’t forget the eyes. Everyone mentions how their eyes change P.S. the other woman was none other than his underage ex from his religious past who was also brainwashed and weird…and married with 2 small kids actively involved in the religion 😂 it’s wild
My ex did a voice change as well. But funny enough, it was the same voice that I noticed when he was asserting himself with certain people. So in my mind, I was thinking, “Oh wow, I’m getting the official Division Chief voice… what an ass” smh
@@onewingangel1117its those big Beards so in vouge for guys on the down low.
Your video confirms I've been misdiagnosed with BPD when I actually have CPTSD.
Watch the BPD and the comorbidities playlists.
Will do, thank you! @@samvaknin
This was a great discussion of the cluster B disorders. Very informative and fascinating subject. I believe my mother is an undiagnosed BPD. The RAGE is intense and very scary. Loud noises startle me.
Being raised by borderline-narcisist parents and unfortunately exposed to them for 50 years ended up my becoming a global antinuclear scholar activist who has already been familiar with nuclear fission , chain reaction and explosion.
😮 I’m so intrigued
@@paulmccartneyadorrer ☺️
My sister is subject to both NPD and BPD. Her defensiveness is extreme, one can never tell how she'll interpret things and she changes on a dime. Extremely aggressive and with a tendency, not just to bullying, but bullying campaigns, she's full of suspicion and constantly angry. Talk about walking on thin ice! She's about impossible to relate to and there's no more contact between her and me, though she used to be a nice person. She started noticeably changing when she was in her mid-thirties.Now she's almost 70 and seems to literally derive self-esteem and satisfaction from intimidating people, literally bullying them into anxious, frightened states. She seems to need a 'fix' of this periodically.
Very interesting...thank you, I've realised that these personality disorders are a lot more complex than I first thought. Some sufferers don't even realise they've got NPD or BPD..I knew there was something wrong just not what it was, now it's obvious.
I think there's a lot of overlap, but NPD people seem more likely to believe there is nothing wrong with them so it's rare that they seek treatment.
BPD is a spectrum. I was recently diagnosed with bpd/cptsd. I am able to hold a job, pay bills, etc but interpersonal relationships are where I struggle. Usually triggered by other emotionally inept individuals I seek out naturally due to the disorder.
Very correct. My ex would be enraged every time i say that he needs help. @arcadiablue3006
Thank you Dr Vaknin! I was diagnosed BPD age 26, I'm now 56 and have made great strides w/my mental health. But a long time ago I 'switched' and didn't know what I was doing 😢 I almost lost my life. Thank you for explaining so beautifully. I live a drama free life and have many years in a 12 step program and my family back! God bless 🙌
I remember the exact day my ex narc removed the mask he had on that was tricking me all up until that point. I left a dish in the sink in the brand new house we moved into (first time living together) and his usual friendly demeanor instantly faded as he let out “Oh. Hell no. We don’t leave dishes around here”. I was like…uh oh. Just went wayyyyyyyy down hill from there. Dude was an absolute psycho.
Wow. Great video. Aside from all the other drama and bullying, its the actually the switching is what makes the relationship so exhausting. Thank you
So freaking exhausting. That is exactly the word for being on the receiving end of it. The next word for being on the receiving end of switching is traumatizing. The switching it terrifying and unless you've witnessed someone do it, especially someone who's very good at hiding it by avoiding ppl saying they have social anxiety etc, it's impossible to explain to ppl who haven't seen it. So thankful I'm away from that behavior as I can't see how it can ever properly be addressed this level of personality splitting.
lol isnt he talking about you katy....
I thought my narcissistic significant other seemed schiz as his personality goes from sweet, nice and caring and just like that he’ll become like a Mr business and becomes randomly combative, very serious and cold. And later, back to nice then he’ll randomly become critical, snappy and nasty. To others he’s always the nice guy . Like who is he gonna be throughout the day? Yeah my narcissistic mother was like this personally switching as well.
Ignorance is not a bliss - thank you Prof Sam for another insightful piece!
I know this is controversial, but I've been a narc's 'scape goat', and after your explanation of this combined with BDP, which I witnessed on several occasions, I feel so utterly sorry for them. I cannot return to them, as I have had years of this confusing 'switching' (it was as though they walked through an invisible veil, one personality one side of the veil and a completely different personality the other side) and terribly abusive attitude and behaviour levelled at me. I feel horrid for walking away, and still have this urge/yearning inside me to help them through their pain and confusion... but, well, a complete separation had to come about in order to save myself. I'm not looking for sympathy - just revealing my years of experience in as brief a time as possible. I was drained of energy, feeling so demoralised, rejected and utterly worthless... it had to stop. And, yes, it did seem like the individual was 'possessed'. But, I still can't stop feeling guilty about ending it. Thanks for clarifying this. It makes an awful lot of sense to me.
I can understand your viewpoint, it is like a grieving process . However remember a narcisist does not exist he is an amalgamation of borrowed parts constructed initially to please others ultimately to gain something from them. Who therefore are you feeling sorry for? They may look and behave as others amongst us but they are a copy, someone with no core, akin to a hologram. There is nothing to feel sympathy for, nobody there. The longer you stay with them the more likely you will get infiltrated by them and become them, you will have effectively made a pact with the devil by staying and for what... some faux highs and breadcrumbs of validation. You have the luxury and privilege of being able to observe and experience this because everything is a lesson, people call themselves victims of narcisist abuse but that is only one aspect, you have agency of yourself use this experience and knowledge . You have the luxury and privilege of leaving this, it is not a luxury afforded to the narcisist.
pretty sure demonic possession is real. psychology is one perspective of this, perhaps. not everyone who seems demonic or possessed necessarily is, perhaps just need spiritual (inner) healing, some won't ever go for that. i have no religious denomination but i do believe demonic entities are real and can be invoked and have inhabited bloodlines through millennia.
Stay away, they do not need your help. Only a daft would return.
I kept going back to mine. Each time it got worse. They blamed me for everything and indicated I was the main problem in their life. That when we were separated, they were better off. They were emotionally, financially, and physically violent. Despite everything I gave they didn't appreciate any of it. We are simply supply to the narcissist. We either give completely and get nothing in return, and enjoy it, or we're made out to be pathetic losers that need them to survive. Eventually, we'll need to let go of the guilt. It doesn't serve us at all. And going back only gives them validation that we are stupid enough to let them pull us back into their nightmare.
i kept going back to mine, because i got caught in a trauma bond and addiction to it and lost myself and could only find myself in the relationship of the drama of him and us. the intensity of it - the highs and lows. i have escaped finally - even left the country without him knowing where i am. but am now out in the world in the aftermath reeling from it all...lonely..and so sad.
This explains a lot. My mother and I are in the process of making peace. This explains her strong reactions and then being just fine and me as a kid thinking WTH just happened. We've talked recently about events that defined our relationship when I was young, and my mother apologized and admitted she had no memory of it. In a weird way it allowed me to forgive her.
You managed to describe my X wife to a tee. My two sons were destroyed by it, as was I. Yes, it would seem as if she had become possessed in the shortest of intervals. I would walk from the kitchen and wash my hands in the bathroom, and when I returned, she was unknown to me. Very cruel behaviour, including gaslighting me. I am very sensitive, so I would always heed her words at first, and run a self-examination to establish if her comments held any truth, which they never did. She destroyed a family and took everything I had worked for. The courts sided with her, without even listeningg to me.
I had to switch to get my children and I to safety. Normally I would express myself (maintain my boundaries) but I needed to keep the environment calm in order to make my escape. He used to hate that I self reflected (accountability) because he knew I was smart but he created in his head that I was a “know it all” and decided to focus on what he thought were my weaknesses and ultimately discovered those were my strengths. I listened.
The tear down - it’s a demon
very interesting he accused me of cheating and “commtted suicide” by ruining his life and everyone around him after i started taking space and trying to take care of myself so i could be better in our relationship. he accused me of so much awful stuff out of nowhere it tormented me that I tormented him when I was giving my trying to be earnest and warm. all i wanted was for us be happy together. i started tiptoeing around him and trying to not provoke anything bc i subconsciously knew little things i did triggered him but i didnt know why or what exactly what i did at all. I have been ruminating everyday playing back certain memories of us since our breakup trying to figure out what exactly I had done to make him act out so horrifyingly, i didnt know narcissists could switch and living through it was so jarring. Only now am i able to really see the whole situation with clear eyes.
i can so relate to what you say. how long have you been out? i have been out for 2months, and only 3 weeks of no contact. i even had to leave the country, now i'm in a foreign country lonely and reeling from it all.
Jekyll and Hyde Smirk / victim Hell to live with, can only understand it now ,thank you from objective safety of no contact safety.
A lot of this makes sense in my last relationship. Fights always started after times of intimacy, celebrations, etc. Even her discarding me happened after weeks of not even an argument. We had gone to the beach one weekend and had a good day then we celebrated her successful pre-disertation for her PhD studies the next weekend. Then boom Monday she says she is done. Other than me blaming myself in the confusion she was calm through the first month. After I learned of the infidelity and made the first move on getting a lawyer and officializing things that she started getting vindictive again. I try to gray rock as much as I can and I know we are close to the end. It is miserable though. Now I'm just working on my healing as the realization took its toll and led to lots of ruminating on the topic. Here's to healing and better tomorrows. I did everything I could and it's okay for this chapter of my life to be over.
"It's going to end badly so it's going to end badly on my terms..." The summation of the fatherless girl in her adult relationships with men. Of all the psychology tropes I've heard, this is one that's born itself out repeatedly in my anecdotal experience. Be advised. She can behave very well=adjusted, and when kids come on the scene, the demon comes to the surface like a dormant virus. In defense of her kid's hearts, she will end it on her terms.
Golden line "your partner is a mirror, not real"
Are these people also energy vampires? Whenever I made efforts to see my family, even if for a few hours to half a day , I would totally be emotionally exhausted from being around them. It took me a day or two, to recharge and recover my energy.
BPD here firsthand description of what a 'switch' feels like from my own perspective. The 'red static' when I feel it coming on--you feel it in your mind and see it behind your eyes. I always try to relish those silent and motionless moments he talks about in between the static and the break--it's so quiet and blank. It's not bliss it's just peaceful but with some anticipation (but not dread) as you ride out of the calm. Physically I get flushed with intense heat in my face and head, break out sweating immediately. Teeth clench and the upper lip twitches into and out of a snarl position mostly uncontrollably. The triggered weeping can be mentally micro shifted away to a 'regular' state under normal circumstances using fetishized behavior but it's going come when the switch hits no matter what those tears will flow endlessly and it is bothersome. Logical coherence is gone to the point of actual hilarity. I've actually wondered on the backend if the switch was a dream like he describes and I've always realized right away that it was not but that feeling is there for sure and it's always a curious moment in it's own right. After a switch I'm more disagreeable and defiant to the general order of things for a day or so. Post event long term my wiring seems to recall these incidents ambivalently or funny (not fun) or oddly, remember them fondly as a 'learning experience' instead of dwelling on the carnage they've caused. This is not a conscious/thought out point of view it's just how they get called up when they sometimes randomly do. I've def. blanked some days and have questioned my own recall ability as to the reality of past events on occasion as well.
I appreciated your description. You have a gift as I felt I could almost understand your experience upon reading it. My family member who is bpd turned red-faced, started sweating just the other day (I had said things she didn't like) I noticed and instinctively realised I'd said too much and felt she could lose it so I spent the next 40mins talking her off the ledge without really understanding why I needed to until now.
piscinaiv7937 - I hope this much insight has prompted you to seek specialised professional help. It would make all the difference in your life. Be compassionate toward yourself. I wish you all the best. 🌹
Thank you so much for this. Nobody has ever been able to describe my late husband so well. He committed suicide last year. This is exactly him. To a T. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This brings me so much closure just knowing everything I think , feel , and experienced was real. It was purely out of spite. He did it on my 40th birthday on purpose. He always ruined every holiday, birthday every anything. When we all got sick with the flu, he finally realized I couldn’t baby him anymore because we have 3 children and they come first….. sad sad situation. The baby was just 6 weeks old when he did it.
I'm so sorry this happened in your life Virginia, sending healing love and light and prayers for your family's continued healing 🙏🏼💜🫂💜✨
@@triawillow1972 thank you so very much. Sincerely. Without the love and supports of my amazing friends and family, and people like you, we wouldn’t have gotten through it. I just pray he finally understands. I pray he’s at peace, I also pray he has to finally be accountable. I always wondered if he was Aware of what he was doing. I got my answer that fateful day. he did it on my 40th birthday, I knew. I knew he was well aware. Why else would you do that, unless to specifically punish me. Of course he was well aware of these stupid games. To take your own life bc your ego is so big and you refuse to vulnerable and admit anything, I can’t begin to understand how dysfunctional that state of mind must be. I hope he understands now.
I don't care for Psychological labels, but this must be what happened to my ex husband. We had ups and downs for years, it was never a good marriage, but he had a goal of getting us to a certain location in the United States. Once he finally got us to that location, his whole personality changed! It was shocking and I had trouble dealing with it. He did so much "crazy making" that I finally opted for divorce. But of course it didn't end there.
I thought I was alone in this . The only one who was experiencing this kind of thing. I’m afraid to even put a label on it . I sit at home cuz he doesn’t allow me at this point to have any kind of life of my own . Idk what to think anymore or how to feel . It’s been 11 years n I relate to every single comment n this video . I feel a little lost .
Nani come up with an exit plan. Put aside $ & documents, pack a bag if you can. If he abuses you then talk to family, friends, a priest, someone that you trust will keep your confidences. Research govt agencies, shelters who you can go to. Isolation is an abusive tactic!
Sending love and prayers totally would've said the same as the above comment, check out Dr Ramani she will empower and validate what you're going through you are not alone, many of us are not just surviving narc abuse but thriving after such tremendous loss. You are still young please don't wait until you're 50 like I did🫂💜🫂✨
What you're describing is horrifying. You need to follow Barbara's advice and get away from this abusive person. It's bad now and it could get much, much worse! You deserve to have freedom and joy! Please take care of yourself! ❤
when he is away or asleep call the police and ask them to come and arrest you so you have to go. work out how to have your documents with you or sent ahead to friend or family member
It reminds of the Matrix when the people would turn into those different agents all of a sudden.
This is the result of repeated trauma as a child.
@@jackie338 that is what abusers claim. Do your research. Many times the narc will dissociate the memories of the trauma, sometimes not so much.
@@timlewis7218it runs in families. My mother had it. A daughter and son have it. Nieces and nephews. But not her kids, her grandkids. Why anyone would attack another for stating an opinion by associating them with abusers may be a very sick person themselves. Please get help
@@jackie338it may be both. It runs in my family, my mother had it. None of her 6 kids had it, we dealt with it. But it surfaced in 2 of my kids and several nieces and nephews. When mom had it she was diagnosed schizophrenic, BPD and NPD were unknown. Antipsychotics have helped her for over 30 years, now. It is odd that it seemed to skip a generation, can't explain that, but i agree it has a genetic component
surely someone can link a pubmed study?
It's also the result of intentional programming such as MK Ultra, cults, military, prison, war, forced starvation (all famines are man made-Chomsky), nefarious hypnosis, etc
When i see him become overly nice and attended. The switch is near, maybe too near. He wants to catch you pff gaurd and .ake you question your own reality, (which is truth). The swtch only last so long now. So many have experienced this type of abuse. Sad, there are different types, though their are some wounds that run deep as any type of abuse. Remember, when we were kids and our parents would warn us not to go near anything hot, that will burn you? She wa was preparing us for what we couldn't see nor understand that kind of abuse. This abuse leaves no physical marls. And remembering how he called you, crazy , while he the narcissist leads us to water, but instead, whither due to dehydration.
I witnessed splits a few times but the worst one was fu(ked up...like someone flicked a light switch and I / we had an 11 hour car drive ahead of me. the ex was in the passenger seat and just like that, IT chunked a book out the window, put the earbuds in and went into a fetal position, rocking back and forth with ITS back towards me.....for hours. I tried talking twice but IT refused. once home, nothing had happened....total back to 'normal', which was as fu(ked up as the split.
Perhaps their trigger was in the book they were reading. Sounds very unsettling but I’m relieved to know that they didn’t become a threat to you or themself.
@@paulmccartneyadorrer they weren't reading the book. in was in the foot.
again many things getting much more clear thank you!
I think it’s so unfair (I know life isn’t fair) that NPD and BPD is (is it?) born out of deep trauma, and it seems like the trauma becomes permanent. Like there is no hope for us because someone ELSE (or many someones) broke us irrevocably. How is that fair? How do the people who traumatize us get to win??? It makes me pretty sad. I work so hard on myself but really, ultimately, there is nothing there. Nothing to work on. I’m, yes, a void.
your not a void. Do not give up. xx
@@myriamguns2162 thank you xx
Sounds like bpd sufferers are like isotopes can only hold it together for a short time.
Incredible insight. This was absolutely spot on... Thanks for posting!
I witnessed this and it was quite disturbing -I wasn’t certain if it was real or fake because the BPD person was always melodramatic -he was talking to me sitting on the couch together and within seconds, he started screaming, shaking his fists in front of his face saying he didn’t know how he got to my home , what he was doing there, and started to cry. Said he doesn’t remember how to drive, he doesn’t like his life and doesn’t know if it will ever get better. Then talked about ECT. It was so abrupt and within a few minutes he said he was fine and within an hour or so, said he felt fine. It was as if nothing happened??!
My elderly mother. She is known for "the look" whereby everyone should run. She cannot speak now without screaming at me. She cannot speak words of any truth anymore. It's like she's giving up something if she is truthful. She wired a large amount of money into my account and told the fraud department I had cancer. Then a week later she called the fraud dept and demanded it back . The bank has not in two months returned her money. It's very strange.
I'm not sure parting words have ever been so salient..."not for the faint of heart". Regardless, the heart endures...and despite pains, will survive. But must learn lessons from the strife. You are not a victim...you are a student. And the hardest lesson is that you created the conditions for that perfect storm...they are to be fixed. Address them...and solve for them, post haste.
Amazing advice!
I'm just trying to be a light in this world which I still find beautiful but I have to say sometimes gets difficult 😂
This is by far the most detailed and accurate description I've seen. I was nearly finishing your sentences throughout the video. Thank you so much for this.
Thank you wow amazing! I've lived through all of this! I've got to watch a few times.
So thankful to and for you for so many years now! You literally helped me understand and save myself. God bless you!
Thank you those is the best video yet for me it really clarifies what I suspected and validates ny experience with family members I have witnessed these micro transitions You have described so beautifully all the material I keep wanting more. I love all your work but this is just what I needed. Thanks ❤😂
My ex partner with BPD would quite literally faint (even in public) and arise as a DIFFERENT person. Callous, zero observable empathy, and ready to recklessly harm self or others.
Your explanation was very understandable. Thank you.
This is unbelievably helpful information thank you
Love these online lectures! I also appreciate you speaking on details of these topics because I observe switching but it is not talked about a lot by other academics and practitioners online.
My daughter acts out 'psychosis' when she is confronted. I say acts out because she's been assessed by MH professionals, but never been diagnosed with psychosis. She starts saying random stuff, talking very quickly and claiming to hear voices. It's more like bad behaviour or an attempt to change the subject of a conversation away from anything that she doesn't want to talk about. She has used this with Police Officers when she's been arrested. Mostly this behaviour isn't scary. Her adult children joke about it, although there is another side. She has a narcissist's view of the world where rules are for other people, but *never* for her. She also gets outraged when challenged, especially by people who are supposed to love her. There's tangible hatred and feelings of betrayal in her other self that could easily justify violence.
I can relate this is my adult daughter as well, very sad because we want to help them.
Thank you for valuable insight. It has helped me to understand the switching of personalities of persons I had to adapt to in my life. Both narc and borderline PD individuals and the multiple personalities from dementia and Alzeihmers individuals.
Thank you for this video.This is what I've been trying to express through visual content for 3 yrs. I couldn't find the words to describe it. Ha! It's not only borderlines.
Thank you very much, some events that I have lived with some narcissist and borderline people now make sense 🙏
Fabulous stuff. Thank you so much . I wish I’d known this years ago.
Wow, how interesting that the sense of smell/ taste/ process of memory invocation in Proust is a description of SWITCHING! Now I must read again!!!
Thank you for your contribution. I’m so fascinated with this mental illness. I love to pick peoples brains and ask all the details of what the experience feels like switching.
Sam, IMO, this is one of your best, most informative videos. Thank you 🙏
@professorvaknin … your laugh (chortle) during this lecture is one of the sweetest things I’ve heard in years. 😊
switching is so wierd, it comes from sudden thin air, absolutely out of character.
When my fiance does it it's terrifying it's like he's not in there anymore (he has borderline)
Leave him!
Beautifully educational!
Very in-depth lectures. Also the flow of talk explaining so much in such a short time reflects his command on subject. It’s always fascinating to listen to him.
Wow! I learned new things from you today and can see that I have three or four family members - including my spouse - and one friend who do/did this switching with my mother and one of my sisters who were very dramatic switchers.
This was the most helpful video I have seen on the subject of bpd and narcissistic switching. I have watched many but never had the switching pointed out or explained before and it makes so much more sense now. I am curious about when the new self shows. I always took that to mean I'd temporarily got through to the person. Instead it was a warning. Thanks.
*You are very smart.and kind. Thanks, I've switched channels so I have you here too*
I had never heard of the term switching before & found this video useful with understanding an undiagnosed BPD family member. I found the terminology difficult but I recognise the signs of switching. It would be useful to have an in depth video about what to do with the BPD person when they are about to experience switching & afterwards because I found it dramatic & quite frightening.
I wish I'd understood this earlier in my life...valuable insight thank you so very much
Wow.. this video was so deep and explained so much, I now understand. I have been very nice and caring toward someone then the next day she just switched and saw me as an enemy. For absolutely no reason . I’ve been nothing but nice. Suddenly she’s blanking me as if I am a stranger and she doesn’t know who I am. I can see why now. What an awful twisted way of being.. it is so malignant. I have just cut off contact I avoid her at all costs now.