Product Description

Millions of adults grew up with immature, self-absorbed parents who made their own children responsible for their physical and emotional well-being, expected admiration and constant attention, and reacted with criticism and blame when their slightest need went unmet. In this accessible book, psychologist Nina Brown helps grown children come to terms with the results of such an upbringing, including tendencies to overcomply to others' needs, withdraw when someone needs nurturing, and lack self-esteem. Through self-exploration exercises and protective and coping strategies, Brown helps readers work toward developing a "healthy narcissism" by identifying destructive patterns their parents may have had, evaluating attitudes and behaviors that may be hampering their own adult relationships, dealing with self-doubt and other negative feelings, and piecing together a more integrated sense of self.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23136 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 180 pages

From the Publisher
A second edition of a self-help classic, Children of the Self-Absorbed offers the adult children of narcissistic parents the means to understand and cope with the behaviors and attitudes of their mothers and/or fathers while still meeting their own needs.

About the Author
Nina W. Brown, Ed.D., LPC, is professor and eminent scholar in the Educational Leadership and Counseling Department at Old Dominion University. An expert on narcissism's effects on relationships, she is the author of ten books, including Children of the Self-Absorbed, Working with the Self-Absorbed and Whose Life is it Anyway?

Customer Reviews

It's not all about you, Mom
Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-up's Guide to Getting over Narcissistic Parents

"Children of the Self-Absorbed" by Dr. Nina Brown, practical guide to eliminating bad emotional habits and illusions that interfere with recovery from a childhood with Narcissistic parents. Beginning with an explanation of the term, "Self-Absorbed", Dr.Brown describes some of the lingering emotional and cognitive damage caused, and moves on to techniques of unravelling the emotional tangles and fantasies that prevent the patient from recovering and moving on. Most of the book is devoted to identifying erroneous emotional and thinking patterns and exercises for clearing them away, replacing them with patterns that strengthen and heal. The author is clear, honest and respectful of the reader: she uses everyday language; she remains realistic, avoiding self-help hucksterism, false sympathy, intellectualizing, and flattery; she demonstrates a basic belief that the reader can improve.

On a personal note - a recent death in my family caused such emotional disarray that I searched the Net for answers and explanations of what could be going on. In the process, and through studying this book, many things about the way my family behaves (and how I react), that had been hidden from and confusing to me over my lifetime, were revealed and clarified. I found this book and the exercises in it most liberating. My family drove me to seek psychiatric care many times over the course of my life - I wish those doctors had known what Dr.Brown knows. An enormous weight has finally been lifted from my heart.

This little book packs a lot of healing power.

Learn your history, Learn your self
This book is forthright about the nature of co-dependent relationships. Taking care of the parents. How to identify the problem if it exists or existed in your life, and how to cope with it skillfully in the future.

Children of the Self-Absorbed
This book was suggested to me by a friend who is a psychologist as I was talking about issues within my family, primarily relating to my parents.I was very impressed that this book takes you through the steps of self-healing.It helps you realise that you have been mislead into believing you are an inadequate person who would not have amounted to anything worthwhile without the support & guidance of your parents.The books lists various catagories that one or both of your self-absorbed parents fall into and at the end of each chapter little exercises to help you overcome the power these people have had over you. You will regain your self-worth and feel that you can become the person that you and other members of the family, colleagues and friends know that you are - a normal well-adjusted functioning human being.