Narcissistic Abuse: Love Bombing, Gaslighting & DARVO

Narcissism and narcissistic abuse get thrown around constantly online, and much of it is wrong. Licensed therapist Kati Morton explains what narcissistic personality disorder actually is and the patterns that make a relationship abusive.

We cover the nine DSM criteria, covert vs. overt narcissism, love bombing, gaslighting, trauma bonding, DARVO, flying monkeys, intermittent reinforcement, the gray rock method, signs you're walking on eggshells, and how healing actually happens.

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you by Rebound (https://hellorebound.com/askkatianything), offering specialized virtual trauma therapy in all 50 states, founded by survivors and psychologists. Head to https://hellorebound.com/askkatianything to learn more and check your insurance.

Using that link is a direct way to support the podcast, so even if you're only curious, take a minute to look.

Chapters:

0:00 Everyone thinks everyone's a narcissist

1:07 What narcissistic personality disorder actually is: five of nine criteria

3:20 Covert vs. overt narcissism

9:22 What narcissistic abuse means

9:48 Love bombing, and how it differs from someone just being kind

13:49 Gaslighting