Cults, Control, and the Machinery of Belonging
65% of ordinary people delivered what they believed were dangerous shocks under authority (Milgram). A clinician's field guide to how cults really work.
Jul 01, 2026 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
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Tag · narcissistic abuse
All narcissistic abuse posts.
Sorted newest first. Each post links primary sources and methodology.
Vulnerable Narcissism: What It Is and How to Recognize It
A 2024 meta-analysis of 27 studies found vulnerable narcissism correlates with secondary psychopathy at roughly .56. Why the quiet presentation is easy to miss.
Mar 24, 2026 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Narcissistic Mothers Who Use Their Children as Props
75% of NPD diagnoses go to men — yet a 46,735-person meta-analysis found zero gender gap in vulnerable narcissism, the subtype most linked to harmful mothering.
Mar 20, 2026 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Narcissistic Abuse & Open Relationships
A licensed therapist maps the shared patterns in Corey Feldman, Sean Combs, and the Harbour/Allen split — how narcissistic abuse hides inside freedom.
Mar 18, 2026 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Narcissistic Abuse Isn't a Diagnosis. Stop the Behavior.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder affects 1–6% of adults (Stinson et al., 2008) — but narcissistic abuse is behavior, not diagnosis. Here's what the research says.
Jan 10, 2026 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Narcissistic Abuse: Frequently Asked Questions
Recovery from narcissistic abuse follows a rough arc — weeks 1-4 acute withdrawal, weeks 4-12 fog lifting. A clinical FAQ on trauma bonds, no contact, and C-PTSD.
Jan 15, 2025 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Dark Triad vs. Light Triad
The Dark Triad (Paulhus & Williams, 2002) and the Light Triad (Kaufman, 2019) explain why naming a narcissistic pattern helps survivors stop the self-blame.
Jan 05, 2025 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Hoovering to Stalking: When a Narcissistic Ex Won't Let Go
Hoovering peaks at weeks 3-12 of no contact and fades by month 3-6 — a clinical guide to documenting escalation, spotting stalking, and safety planning.
Dec 28, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Why People Miss Their Narcissist: The Withdrawal Paradox
Why survivors of narcissistic abuse often miss their abuser — and why the missing is trauma-bond withdrawal, not a sign of weakness or unresolved love.
Dec 15, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
No Contact on Valentine's Day After Narcissistic Abuse
Holidays are the most predictable breaking point in no contact: the nervous system still expects the old reward window, and narcissists reliably hoover on schedule.
Nov 28, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Mirroring: When Vodka on the Rocks Thinks It's a Martini
Narcissistic mirroring activates the same dopaminergic reward circuitry as substance craving (Fisher, 2004) — why it feels intoxicating, then like a hangover.
Nov 20, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Narc Face: The Fleeting Feigned Confusion
The split-second micro-expression when a narcissist's mask slips: dead eyes, a calculating pause, a performance reset — and the clinical empathy research behind it.
Nov 15, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
The Narcissistic Abuse Cycle: From Belief to Awakening
The same circuits that fire in substance withdrawal fire during a narcissistic abuse discard — the full cycle, idealization to awakening, explained clinically.
Nov 10, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
Narcissistic Abuse Awakening: Not a Sudden Epiphany
Narcissistic abuse awakening isn't a sudden epiphany. It's a nervous system shift, and most survivors need three to twelve months of no contact to stabilize.
Nov 05, 2024 Matthew Sexton, LCSW
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