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| Elizabeth Daniels, M.A., LMHC |
Do Not Become a Narcissist's Flying Monkey Video © by Gail Meyers A narcissistic personality disordered mother has flying monkeys. This is a term taken from The Wizard of Oz , where the flying monkeys do the bidding of the Wicked Witch. The flying monkeys may be your neighbor, church members, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandmother, grandfather, nieces, nephews, etc. These people do the narcissist's dirty work and often pour their own abuse on the scapegoat. I spent years of my life trying to show various flying monkeys the truth. It virtually never worked, not once in the twenty or so years I kept trying to "clear the air" or to finally be understood. They do not understand because they do not want to understand. Many are willfully ignorant and blind to the situation. There is not some magical phrase and method you have not yet discovered that is suddenly going to cause these people to stand up for the truth. What I have realized is t...
Gail, thank you for this insight. My NPD mother recently put me in a situation that until today was very difficult to explain. I live in Florida, as do her 2 sisters, with whom she is very close. One more than the other, but she prioritizes her relationship with her sisters above all else. Twice now, she has caused a fight that culminates with her having a temper tantrum and deciding NOT to come visit me. I've pulled far away from engaging in her abuse & dysfunction and so what did she do? She bought 2 tickets for her & I to…take a cruise together! This way, her goal of always having a good time and being pampered is met, and if I decline - she's the victim / hero because she's shown to be 'trying to mend the relationship' with her daughter! As I write this, she's on the cruise with my enabling / abusive father - after having (again!) another meltdown prior to coming to FL and (again!) saying they're not coming to see me. Well, my father is on this trip, and I think he wants to come see me anyway, and is going to force the issue - Though she's screamed they're not coming here, I believe they'll pull into my driveway unannounced this weekend. I'm a wreck as to how to protect myself, whether to even allow them to come in, and basically..where to go / what to do from here.
ReplyDeleteTake a trip for the time period they may show up unannounced, even if it's staying with friends. Disassociate yourself from their sickness.
ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Meyers, I just finished reading this article, and I have been in a horrible double bind for 2 years now with no solution in sight. 7 years ago my husband decided to take over his family's home, which is in a foreign country, after his mother passed away. It was badly in need of renovation. I did not want to take on this project at this stage of life nearing retirement. Married for 32 years, my husband told me he was doing it anyway, so I felt I had no choice and got on board 100% to help with the renovation while still working full time.The house was barely finished when I learned he had been having an affair for 3 years in this house and had used our new bed. this other woman basically moved in and used my things whenever I wasn't with him. I have been in therapy ever since this devastating betrayal was revealed. Now the dilemma is this: If I go there with him to keep an eye on things I am miserable and depressed because I imagine the two of them everywhere. But if I stay home I am convinced they will resume the affair because she lives only a a half mile away. I want to sell the house, but my husband refuses, though he has also at times promised that we would sell. However he keeps reneging on these promises, or he denies he made the, claiming that I must "get over it". I am considering leaving him but at my age it would also devastate me. I have bee in therapy since this broke but I am still in this double-bind dilemma with no end in sight. Any suggestions?
ReplyDelete63, I am not a licensed therapist and I cannot advise you in your situation. My heart goes out to you as you continue to work through this with your therapist.
DeleteMy wife who I believe has NPD (unfortunately a married a woman just like my mother). Here is a typical double Bind that she plays on me (we cannot go out to eat because of all her food allergies and I cannot cook good enough to please her):
ReplyDeleteWife: Deeply sighing and looking very distressed. I just do not feel like cooking supper tonight.
Me reply #1: That is all right, I am not that hungry.
Wife reply #1: I am hungry all you care about is yourself. I need to eat.
Me reply #2: Would you please cook supper?
Wife reply #2: All you care about is yourself, I work so hard and now you want me to cook supper.
She does that often and if I catch a glance when she does not see me looking, she has the most evil look on her face. Getting rather old.
Could you try to cook together- just wonder how that would go? If she complains the whole time- let her know it- and walk out of the room letting her cook on her own- I did this and it does work eventually because they end up doing all the cooking or they learn to be quiet when you cook or back to NOT doing any of the cooking again!!! Also maybe pick one or two nights each week to eat out in advance! Good luck!
ReplyDeletegood information. thank you so much
ReplyDeleteI went through all of this in youth, from a very young age, with an openly abusive over the top narcissistic father and an underhanded neglectful covert narcissistic mother; always willing to throw me under the bus, "for the good of the family". She was clever enough to turn my honest and healthy hatred towards my father around so that the objective became to try to win the respect and approval of a highly critical parent who was very much into scapegoating, ridicule, mockery, and derision, which was one hell of a set up to deliberately put upon a child, as if I could be responsible for the behavior of an alcoholic parent, and win over a hateful drunk; with the imposition of guilt and shame should I not succeed. Brilliant, covert narcissists are far more damaging and dangerous than the overt ones!
ReplyDeletewonderful info
ReplyDeleteGreat advice for adults, but I can't imagine a child be sophisticated enough to respond in these ways. The double bind technique is used often by narcissistic parents and it is truly impossible for a child to cope. Example: My older brother tormented me relentlessly emotionally and physically. He mocked me, teased me, called me names, stole, hid, destroyed my belongings, hit me, kicked me, tripped me, pulled my hair, and even pushed me to the ground, sat on me and tried to strangle me once. I learned the hard way not to tell my mother. She would respond with "What did you to him?", "Don't be a tattle tale", "You're too sensitive", or "Just ignore him and he'll stop." It was always, some how, my fault. I once made the mistake of telling my dad. He confronted my mother and disciplined my brother appropriately. The following day, when he was at work, she proceeded to punish me for "going behind her back" and she gave him the cold shoulder treatment for days. How is a child supposed to win that sadistic game?
ReplyDelete