A Blog About Healing From PTSD

Being the scapegoat in a narcissistic family is an incredibly difficult & painful role.

Naturally it starts with the abuse from a narcissistic parent, usually an overt one.  This parent is quick with a cruel word, invalidation, mocking or even fury.  This parent may even say they treat their child as they do out of love or they blame their child for making them treat the child as they do.

The other parent is often a covert narcissist. Compared to the raging, screaming & berating of the overt narcissistic parent, the covert narcissistic parent seems safe & possibly even loving. Eventually though, that mask slips. It usually happens as the child is growing up & starting to want some independence. Covert narcissistic parents also often confide in their children about very inappropriate topics, such as their marital problems. Overts do this too, but coverts seem to do it more often…