by Christine Hammond on May 31, 2019
Kevin was looking for reasons to stay late at work to avoid going home. The previous night had so exhausted him that he relished the extra work assignments as excuses to steer clear of his wife of 9 years. The problem was that he missed his kids and wanted to be there to tug them… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
Natalie didn’t get it. She watched her sister tolerate an abusive spouse who routinely left her for another woman and then returned on a whim. Her sister knew he was an adulterer, arrogant, intolerable, demanding, condescending, cruel, and controlling. She complained about him, said she wanted to leave, but then when push came to shove,… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
The word “dependent” is the perfect descriptive word to summarize Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). DPDs need other people for all areas of emotional support and affirmation. Frequently, they are reliant on one particular person such as a spouse, parent, or adult child. Often, their dependence is in direct contrast to the other person who is… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on September 22, 2017
John regularly told his wife, Jane, “I feel all alone in this world (within our family, at my job, or in our neighborhood).” In the beginning of their marriage, Jane erroneously believed that she could fill that void in his life and went to great lengths to demonstrate that John was not alone. However, he… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on April 15, 2016
The level of stress surrounding a narcissistic family is intense from the inside and picture perfect from the outside. As a member of the family (narcissists excluded), there is a constant state of walking on eggshells, questioning what did or did not happen, and minimizing personal feelings while elevating the narcissist’s feelings. From the outside… (more…)