Suzanna, This is an amazing article and I hope a million people read this!! So many points you made are exactly my life's experience as well. I am in the recovery phase of realizing my full potential again after being told lies about myself and my family for almost 3 decades.

There are a couple of things that hit home-

Not all people are good...

This one was the hardest lesson for me to learn. I wanted so badly to make him a good person, to myself and the kids. I worked so hard to make sure everyone saw the best in him and he knew he was loved no matter how victimized he felt-this is when I lived his stories with him.

The others...Never go to couple's counseling with a narcissist!!! OMG!!!! I cannot agree more. There is NOOOOO point in trying this. It is a disaster and you will come out feeling smaller, more inadequate, stupid and inept than before you walked in. I got through 3 sessions with him until I realized that it was going to stay awful. He would rage at me after every session...and leave afterward for the day. It was a nightmare. And I know therapy. Because I was the one with all of the problems, according to him. I am grateful to have had that experience going in to see the contradiction between effective therapy and a useless and retrauamatizing experience. And the therapist was doing a great job. I liked him. I even chose a male so my ex would feel more comfortable. No matter, I quit therapy with him. So, here he had another story that supported his story of my apathy and selfishness. So, there you go. Thanks for this and your work in the world!!