I have been surrounded by narcissists, psychopaths and machiavellian characters from the moment I got out of my mother’s womb. For most of my life, narcissistic abuse was the predominant emotional language I knew, although I could neither understand nor speak it myself. It only took several near-death incidents to get me this far, but what can I say? Life is an imp, and it loves throwing punches at me. So there’s that.

The people who recommended that I create this platform at this stage of my treatment gave me a set of wise guidelines. I can’t afford to jeopardize the progress we’ve made so far, so I must use a pseudonym, for my name you are not allowed to know. What about ‘Isabelle’?

‘Hello, I am Isabelle.’

I like how that sounds when spoken aloud. I also like that it is French because that’s what I am—partly. I have somewhat of a mixed background; I have been called a Global Citizen a few times (how very woke, I know). You were not supposed to know that detail, but well, it’s nothing to write home about so I’ll keep it in.

narcissist | ˈnɑːsɪsɪst |
noun
a person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves

Excessive, indeed. I firmly believe that our culture as a whole needs to take a big chill pill. We need to tone it down. Let’s be happy, not ecstatic. Being happy surely is enough. Let’s be sad, not depressed; afraid, not petrified; hungry, not starving. Let’s love, not adore. Adoring anyone or anything is unhinged, which is why I can’t stand the concept of calling a certain group people ‘idols.’ If only these fanatics knew what their idols were made of, oh dear.

anti | ˈanti |
preposition
opposed to; against

One thing for which I will gladly set aside the virtues of temperance, however, is hate. Let’s not just dislike, but hate. Not just anyone, but a specific set of individuals whom I consider to be amongst the most obnoxious agents of darkness known to mankind: narcissists.

Yes, I hate narcissists. I am opposed to all the harm these creatures of chaos cause. I am against their reckless and inhumane treatment of everything they come in contact with. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you.

I know you hate them as much as I do. I know you want revenge for how they treated you. I know you can’t stand that they get away with murder, then belittle you. How they talk in circles and manipulate you. That they always make themselves out to be the victims and turn everyone against you. Bastards! That’s what they are.

I know how you feel because I have been put in the unique position of interacting with narcissists on a daily basis in several spheres of influence and arenas of society over a sustained period of time. This makes me well-suited to provide you with insight into the relational dynamics with them at various levels, whether intimate, parental, fraternal, or professional.

Life has dealt me peculiar cards that I initially could only view as pure misery (which it objectively was), tucked under a variety of façades depending on what the moment or season required. At long last, I am finally able to deal with them. After all, feeling sorry for yourself can only get you so far. One has got to drag one’s self out of the gutter at one point or another and move on with life. Phew! That took a while.

I have accumulated a lot of knowlege along the way, and the treatment I commenced has catapulted my understanding. Now I have an opportunity to turn what has been an abysmal existence into a tool to aid and encourage others who may have gone, or are currently going, through similar experiences.

Whilst the most decent thing to do in this introductory article would be to give you a few details about me to establish a rapport of trust in our communications, I won’t. But I also won’t underestimate your intelligence. I know you are capable of drawing a mental picture of it independently, as you will be exposed to certain details of my experiences in the future. In fact, I just got an idea.

Discussing narcissistic abuse is quite doleful and triggering, so we ought to make things a bit fun, don’t we? What about a challenge? I challenge you to profile me using the hints I will be dropping in articles over the forthcoming weeks and months. Put your sleuth’s hat on, and keep this challenge at the back of your mind as you read further. Share your observations and theories about who I am and what I do in the comments at any time.

Welcome to Antinarc — Against Narcissists

This is where we join hands to oppose the devil’s lieutenant. This is where we effectively go against the agents of destruction plaguing our lives. This is where you enrol on your quest to disarm the narcissist.

— Isabelle Laroche