Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Click here for part one Among all the frustrations of growing up with a narcissistic parent, one paradox is that although a narcissist strives to feel important, loved, powerful, in control, superior and omnipotent—hand-in-hand with those feelings lie the polar opposite feelings—of feeling unsafe, worthless, inferior, […]
Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Click here for part two Did you have a parent who constantly criticized you? Did this parent expect you to admire him or her and give him or her constant attention? Or perhaps your parent insisted that everything be done his or her way, and your […]
Dear Neil: Why do I feel so unlovable? I never feel I’m good enough, I doubt myself all the time and I seldom trust my own judgment. Although people often describe me as a beautiful woman, this lack of belief in myself has caused me, as an adult, to choose men over and over again […]
Dear Neil: A while back I grew close to a guy who was in a 10-year relationship with someone else. He always told me to be open to meeting someone else. So I met someone else. But things were complicated from the beginning, because he wants to become a catholic priest. He enjoys my company […]
Dear Neil: From my own experience, I have become aware that achieving orgasm during intercourse is difficult for many women—and frequently results in disappointment and disillusionment. Instead of an expression of mutual love, it becomes an act of service or duty for the woman, who afterwards must contain her unrelieved sexual tension. After 27 years […]
Dear Neil: I want your advise on whether my boyfriend is bisexual. Here are the facts. I found a book in his room titled “How To Make Love To A Man.” He likes to watch gay porn, tells me about rape fantasies with other men and buys gay porn. He always wants to have anal […]
Dear Neil: Twice in the past year my boyfriend of two years has indicated to me that he’s confused and needs to think about our relationship. The first time was six months ago. Now he wants more time, and I’m not sure I want to give him any more time. Is he going to be […]
Dear Neil: Last year things began to change drastically in my three and a half year relationship. We had made plans to get married when suddenly he stopped treating me with the respect he always had, he was angry, blamed me for things, told me he needed time to himself to sort things out, rented […]
Dear Neil: My girlfriend is a wonderful woman in every way but one. But this one thing makes me question whether we could ever be compatible with each other long-term. She lets everything go till the last minute. You name it—bills, showing up for an appointment on time, washing dishes, doing the laundry, cleaning her […]
Dear Neil: Before marrying my husband, I was concerned with his inability to communicate his feelings, but I hoped that once he left his family he would come out of his shell. After four years of marriage, I found myself lonely and was left to my own devices every weekend because he enjoyed restoring classic […]