At first, narcissists are charming and attentive, but eventually they turn cold and cruel. Many people are totally baffled by the behavior, and come to suspect they’re dealing with a narcissist. They turn to the Internet and ask variations of the question, what do narcissists want? Here are 20 of those questions — with the answers. 1 . What do narcissists want? Narcissists want what is called "narcissistic supply." In her Lovefraud webinar called, Understanding and Recognizing Narcissistic Abuse, Tiffany Kettermann, LPC, CADCI, explains that narcissistic supply is, "Anything or anyone that feeds the narcissistic person's ego and keeps the person artificially pumped up, protecting their …
‘Love Fraud’ – FREE online book discussion March 13
My first book, Love Fraud - How marriage to a sociopath fulfilled my spiritual plan, tells two parallel stories—the outrageous tale of my involvement with the sociopath James Montgomery, my spiritual journey to understand why it happened, and how it helped me return to wholeness. I will host a FREE online book discussion, via videoconference, on March 13, 2019, at 8 p.m. ET. Please join me — if you read the book recently, long ago or even if you haven't quite finished it. (You can choose to participate anonymously if you want.) Discussion questions are below. Register here: Lovefraud Video Conference Book Discussion About the book: What is it really like to be hooked by a …
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Can a relationship with a sociopath work?
You've met someone who is charming, charismatic, fun, attentive and, oh yeah, sexy. Your relationship is the most exciting you've ever experienced — at first. Then you see some red flags, and your relationship isn't as pleasant as it once was. After a few nasty incidents, you Google words like "pathological lying," and see descriptions that sound like your partner. You suspect your partner may be a sociopath. The good times are, or were, really good. You don't want to throw it all away. So you wonder — can a relationship with a sociopath work? The answer depends on what you mean by "work." You cannot have a supportive, sharing relationship with a sociopath If by "work" you mean a …
Narcissistic manipulation: Patrick Frazee wanted his girlfriend to commit murder
Here's one of the worst cases of narcissistic manipulation I've ever seen: Three times, Patrick Frazee, 32, of Florissant, Colorado, tried to convince his girlfriend to murder his fiancée. When the girlfriend couldn't do it, Frazee allegedly beat Kelsey Berreth, the mother of his child, to death with a baseball bat. Then he called his girlfriend, Krystal Lee Kenney of Idaho, to clean up the mess. Frazee and Kenney began an intimate relationship in early 2018 — and Frazee probably began his narcissistic manipulation right away. Eventually, Kenney was "under his spell," as former FBI profiler Pete Klismet said in an interview with KRDO TV in Colorado. On Sept. 23, Frazee wanted Kenney …
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Love Fraud book excerpt: One more massive lie from my sociopath husband
My husband, James Montgomery, convinced me to move to Florida by saying he had a deal to launch our new Titanic Exhibition. He lied. I was broke. Now what were we going to do? By Donna Andersen By the first week of February 1999, James had been in Orlando for more than two months. I’d been there for six weeks. I was still working on plans for the exhibition at Wild Bill’s, and needed more information about the facility’s dimensions. I called the dinner theater’s office. “We have the Titanic exhibition that’s going into Wild Bill’s,” I said to the manager who answered the phone. “I’d like to stop by and take some more measurements.” “The Titanic exhibition!” exclaimed the manager. …
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How to spot a dating scam
Americans lost $143 million in dating scams in 2018, according to the Federal Trade Commission. That figure probably doesn't include the more than $2 million that one con artist, Derek Alldred, took from the two dozen women that he, by himself, scammed. These are examples of the two different types of dating scams: Online dating scams and In Real Life (IRL) dating scams. Here's what you need to know about them. Online dating scams These dating scams take place totally over the Internet, social media and phones — the Internet predator and the target never meet in person. The objective is usually financial. Many of these Internet predators are based in Nigeria or Asia. In fact, …
How to date after a narcissist, sociopath or other exploiter
When you're thinking about starting to date after a narcissist, sociopath or other exploiter, the last thing you need to hear is some so-called expert telling you to fix your low self-esteem. I just read an article on PsychCentral, and the author says the reason you attracted a narcissist in the first place is because you lack confidence. Hello?? I, for one, was not lacking in self-esteem when my sociopathic ex waltzed into my life. I've heard from plenty of successful, accomplished men and women who also found themselves in relationships with disordered individuals. Self-esteem is not the issue. So what is the issue? Actually there are three: Lack of awareness We fall for …
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Love Fraud book excerpt: Because of my husband, I was about to lose everything
Finally, my husband, James Montgomery, found a project that might actually become reality — a Titanic Exhibition. He and a partner had secured investors, we'd assembled a collection of artifacts, I was planning the show — and then it all fell apart. By Donna Andersen On Thanksgiving morning, as usual, James got up long before me and went down to his office in the basement, even though he just flew in from Las Vegas the day before. I was in the kitchen, getting ready to prepare my contribution to the day’s feast—a casserole of carrots and apples—when he came upstairs, wearing his bathrobe. “We should leave around one o’clock for my uncle’s house,” I said. “All right,” James …
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3 Tips for polite conversation about relationship abuse
I recently attended a small party — about 15 people — at a friend's home. I got into a conversation with two women, neither of whom I knew before. They both revealed that, like me, they had endured relationship abuse. We started swapping stories. The first woman worked hard all her life, built a successful career, and then married the guy who, over about seven years, took advantage of her assets. She described his lies, mostly about money, as "gaslighting." The second woman had three children with a man who turned out to be a controller, moving her away from family and friends. She spent 20 years trying to shield the children from his destructive ways, then finally divorced him. I …
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Wednesday Webinar: Why it’s hard to get over a sociopath and how to recover
I hear from many people who have escaped from involvements with sociopaths — either because they've finally found the courage to leave, or were unceremoniously dumped. They are often in a lot of emotional pain, and, knowing how badly they were treated, they can't understand why it is so hard to get over loving a sociopath. If you're in this situation, you know what I'm talking about. Why does this happen? When you're involved with a sociopath, the thrill at the beginning of the relationship is so intense, that the crash when the relationship ends is worse than anything you've ever experienced. And why does this happen? Because the sociopath hijacks the human bonding system. I …
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