Don’t Argue or Fight With a Difficult Person – Do This Instead (#1 Narcissism Expert)

Do you have a family member, a boss, or even a close friend who constantly drains your energy or makes everything about them?

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to protect yourself from toxic, self-centered personalities that can make you feel exhausted and frustrated.

Dr. Ramani, a world-renowned expert on narcissism, gives you the playbook to navigate even the most challenging personalities.

She is going to break down the signs of narcissistic behavior and arm you with the strategies you need to maintain your boundaries and sanity.

You’ll learn how to stop letting difficult people control your life and get practical advice on how to create a game plan for peace in every one of your relationships.

If you liked this tactical and powerful episode, listen to this one next: How to Handle Negative People: 6 Strategies to Protect Your Peace‍

For more resources, click here for the podcast episode page.

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‍In this episode:

• 8:56: Are they narcissistic or do they just have a big ego?
• 11:21: Dr. Ramani’s expert advice on co-parenting with a narcissist.
• 8:46: The biggest mistakes people make when setting boundaries with a narcissist.
• 22:30: Think before you label: what acting out in teens really means.
• 30:09: Is true love possible for narcissists? The surprising truth.
• 34:13: Your guide to staying centered with narcissistic adult children. 
• 44:14: The critical distinctions between psychopathy and narcissism.
• 49:54: Surviving a narcissistic parent: how to protect your well-being.

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD

• Check out Dr. Ramani’s website.
• Order her book, It’s Not You.
• Subscribe to her YouTube Channel.
• Follow her on Instagram.
• Listen to her TEDx Talk.

Listen to Dr. Ramani’s other appearances on The Mel Robbins Podcast:

• 5 Signs You’re Dealing With a Narcissist & How To Protect Yourself
• 2 Secrets to Handling a Narcissist: A Toolkit for Dealing With Toxic Behavior
• Signs You’re Dealing With a Narcissist (New Research From World-Leading Expert Dr. Ramani)

‍Additional Resources:

• The Family Institute at Northwestern University: Understanding Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)
• Journal of Behavioral Medicine: Narcissistic Personality Disorder in Clinical Health Psychology Practice
• Journal of Personality: Egoistic and Moralistic Biases in Self-Perception: The Interplay of Self-Deceptive Styles With Basic Traits and Motives
• Stanford School of Business: How narcissistic leaders destroy from within
• Psychological & Cognitive Sciences: The origins of narcissism
• Child Development Perspectives: Raising children with high self-esteem but not narcissism 
• USA Today: Narcissists wreak havoc on their parents' lives. But cutting them off can feel impossible.
• The Law and Economics of Marriage and Divorce: Marriage: the long-term contract
• Journal of Family Violence: Post-Separation Abuse of Women and their Children: Boundary-Setting and Family Court Utilization among Victimized Mothers
• Journal of Family Violence: “Like I’m Invisible”: IPV Survivor-Mothers’ Perceptions of Seeking Child Custody through the Family Court System
• International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology: An intimate relationship in the shadow of narcissism: What is it like to live with a narcissistic spouse?
• Psychology of Personality: Personal boundaries: definition, role, and impact on mental health
• Journal of Adolescence: Separation-individuation revisited: on the interplay of parent-adolescent relations, identity and emotional adjustment in adolescence
• The Psychoanalytic Quarterly: Concepts of Self and Identity and the Experience of Separation-Individuation in Adolescence
• Interpersona: The Endurance of Love: Passionate and Companionate Love in Newlywed and Long-Term Marriages
• Self and Identity: In Defense of Self-Love: An Observational Study on Narcissists’ Negative Behavior During Romantic Relationship Conflict
• Journal of Personality Disorders: Are Pathological Narcissism and Psychopathy Different Constructs or Different Names for the Same Thing? A Study Based on Italian Nonclinical Adult Participants‍
• Dr. Yanya Lalich: How to get someone out of a cult