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Question: My husband has a liaison with another woman. He has been diagnosed as suffering from a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. What should I do? Narcissists are people who fail to maintain a stable sense of self worth. Very often, though only where somatic Narcissists (Narcissistic who use their bodies and their sexuality as sources of Narcissistic supply) are concerned, Narcissists tend to get involved in extramarital affairs. The new "conquests" sustain the grandiose fantasies and their distorted and unrealistic self-image. It is, therefore, nigh impossible to alter this particular behaviour trait in a somatic Narcissist. Sexual interactions serve as a constant, reliable, easy to obtain source of Narcissistic supply. It is the only source of such supply if the Narcissist is not cerebral (=does not rely on his intellect, intelligence, or professional achievements for Narcissistic supply). You should set up rigid, strict and VERY WELL DEFINED rules of engagement. Ideally, all contacts between your spouse and his lover should be immediately and irrevocably severed. But this is usually too much to ask for. So, you should define when is she allowed to call, whether she is allowed to write to him at all and in which circumstances, what are the subjects she is allowed to broach in her correspondence and phone calls, when is he allowed to see her and what other modes of interaction are permissible. CLEAR AND PAINFUL SANCTIONS must be pre-defined in case the above rules are violated. Both rules and sanctions MUST BE APPLIED RIGOROUSLY AND MERCILESSLY and MUST BE SET IN WRITING IN UNEQUIVOCAL LANGUAGE. The problem, as I see it, is that The Narcissist never really separates from his sources of Narcissistic supply until and unless they cease to be ones. They never say a REAL good-bye. She is likely to still have an emotional hold on him. Even a victim must collaborate in order to be victimized. Your husband must first have his day of reckoning. Help him: tell him what will be the price that he will pay if he does not obey the rules and sanctions as above. Tell him that you cannot live like this any longer. That if he does not get rid of this presence - of the echoes of his past, really - he will lose his present, he will lose you. Don't be afraid to lose him. If he will prefer this woman over you - it is important for you to know. If he will prefer you over her - your nightmare will end very swiftly. If you insist on staying on with him - you must also be prepared to serve as a source of narcissistic supply, an alternative to the supply provided by his lost lover. You must brace yourself: serving as a Narcissistic supply source is an onerous task, a full time job and a very ungrateful one at that. The Narcissist's thirst for adulation, admiration, worship, approval, and attention can never by quenched. It is a Sisyphean, mind-numbing effort, which heralds only additional demands and disgruntled, critical, humiliating tirades by the Narcissist. That you are afraid to confront reality is clear to me. You are afraid to set clear alternatives. You are afraid that he will leave you. You are afraid that he will prefer her to you. AND YOU MAY WELL BE RIGHT. But if this is the case and you go on living with him and tormenting yourself - THIS IS PATHOLOGICAL. If you have difficulties facing the fact that it is all over between you, that only an empty shell is left, that your husband is with another woman - do not hesitate to seek mental assistance from professionals and non-professionals alike. But do not let this situation fester into psychological gangrene. Amputate now while you still can. (website taken down) COPYRIGHT: One time English language print North American Rights and right to maintain in an archive indefinitely - granted. |
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