The Narcissist Addict
Trauma & Narcissism Redefined
Caroline Strawson
4.8 • 701 Ratings
🗓️ 14 September 2021
⏱️ 12 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, we discuss narcissists in relation to addictions. We will use the Internal Family Systems approach to understand how addictions can serve as protective parts. We will also learn how addictions can distract and soothe away narcissists from suffering from their self-worthiness wounds.
What You Will Learn In This Episode:
- Why addictions are considered protective parts in Internal Family Systems
- How the narcissist’s interpretation of other people's actions and reactions lead to addictive behaviours
- How a better understanding of narcissists' addictions can help us on our trauma recovery journey
Self-worthiness wounds are created during childhood, and the interpretation of the world and other people's behaviour forms what is called an exile in Internal Family Systems. Addiction to drugs, porn, sex, or work can act as protective parts the brain uses to protect people from feeling that pain again. Between being distracted by an external stimulus or feeling miserable, the brain chooses what it considers less painful.
Resources:
- Join my Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme™ https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
- Join my Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
- Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
- My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the narcissistic trauma recovery podcast. I'm Caroline Strawson and I'll be sharing with you |
| 0:09.5 | awareness, understanding and education about the devastating effects of narcissistic abuse to help you thrive. |
| 0:16.4 | I want you to know that I've been exactly where you are and I believe you. |
| 0:21.5 | And this show is all about taking you from trauma to transformation. |
| 0:30.5 | Hey there. |
| 0:31.4 | So in this episode, I want to talk to you about the narcissist and addictions. |
| 0:37.3 | Now, many of you know from watching all my other |
| 0:39.9 | episodes that I talk a lot about internal family systems, which is in evidence-based parts |
| 0:44.5 | therapy. So I look at many other traits that we have, maybe in a different way to many |
| 0:50.3 | other people do, because I look at them as they are a protector part of us. |
| 0:54.9 | That might seem really structured when we start to talk about addiction. |
| 0:57.8 | How can addiction be a protector part? |
| 1:00.6 | And I want to talk about addiction today because I'm sure many of you who are dealing with a narcissist |
| 1:05.6 | also see that the narcissist will have addiction tendencies as well. Now, that addiction could be porn, |
| 1:13.9 | it could be sex, it could be exercise, drugs, alcohol, it could be at any number of things. |
| 1:21.5 | And I want to explain to you why that happens for a narcissist in the hope that when I explain this, you start to see |
| 1:30.4 | why a narcissist is the way that they are. And it lifts that shame and guilt from yourself |
| 1:35.5 | recognizing, ah, they're not actually treating me like that because of me, because I'm not good |
| 1:41.0 | enough or I'm unworthy or I'm unlovable. |
| 1:44.8 | They're treating me like this because of their stuff. |
| 1:48.7 | Now, when we think about internal family systems, remember, we all have that sense of self. |
| 1:53.7 | We all have that true self. |
... |
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