Dear Seaturtle:

I can complete my reply this evening, so here it is:

“I mentioned a fear of being/becoming a narcissist. I believe both my parents are on this spectrum“, Seaturtle, Oct 11, 2023).

No wonder you weren’t seen growing up, and no wonder most recently, in regard to talking to K about yourself, at a certain point on, you felt that you were making things too much about yourself. Talking about yourself  is like leaving your shoes by the door, or dishes in the sink, or shoes downstairs, and being reprimanded for it. The “house cleaning” sessions were really about cleaning, or removing any expression of you from his house.

Both parents on the narcissistic spectrum, the daughter is not SEEN. A strong need to be seen was understandably born in childhood and adolescence.

anita