Soul Vampires: Reclaiming Your Lifeblood After Narcissistic Abuse

In this simplistic guide to recognizing and recovering from toxic relationships by licensed psychotherapist and life coach Schneider, the goal is clear: to help the victims of narcissists understand and overcome hurtful experiences. Schneider details a malignant narcissist’s traits—inflated self-esteem, a sense of entitlement, and an inability to reciprocate in relationships. The goal of the narcissist, Schneider argues, is to keep the victim off balance so that the narcissist can feed his or her ego. The latter half of Schneider’s guide focuses on encouraging the victim to break off all contact and heal. While the author’s heart is in the right place, Schneider’s approach does not seem effective. The guide is full of over-the-top metaphors painting the malignant narcissist as a leech, a vampire, or a shark. The danger here is that encouraging readers to label their ex-partners in such black-and-white terms encourages them to see these individuals as less than human—a mind-set that might hurt more than it helps. A better approach might have been a stronger focus on healing, and less concern for labeling. (BookLife)