Surviving a narcissistic relationship: 破解假面閨密,從有毒關係中重生 (上)

“The moment you start googling someone’s behaviour in an effort to understand it, is probably the biggest red flag you’ll ever need.” — 呢句說話真係當頭棒喝。 曾經有段時間,幾乎每日都喺網上面查,點解一個廿幾年的朋友,會對我講同做D咁嘅嘢,究竟係咩心態,有咩動機… 不斷去查,係因為仍然唔相信自己嘅感覺同直覺,仍然不斷second guess同質疑自己,因為咁多年嚟,都將自己嘅感受放喺別人之下,明明覺得受到對方奚落、攻擊,但因為知道反駁反擊會傷害到佢嘅感受,所以選擇逆來順受,畀佢去feel good,即使自己feel like shit… 去到有一日,可能係個人開始醒,亦可能係對方嘅行為不斷變本加厲,由以前係用subtle insult、backhanded compliment去暗暗奚落同攻擊我,去到後來變得相當直白直接,甚至奚落同攻擊埋我嘅伴侶,令到我冇辦法再視而不見、再當無事發生… 但我仍然係怕正面的confrontation同衝突,亦唔想係因為自己誤會對方而傷害咁多年感情,所以不斷上網查同搵原因去解釋佢嘅行為… 直到有人同我講,我呢位朋友係中晒narcissists嘅特質,建議我睇關於narcissism嘅文章,去教育自己同保護自己。 我越睇得多相關嘅文章同書籍,越發覺呢位朋友的確係教科書級別的narcissist,佢每一個言行,都可以睇到當中嘅manipulation tactics: gaslighting, passive-aggressiveness, love bombing, guilt-tripping, lying, blaming, criticizing, shaming… you name it. 從心理角度去睇,我開始解釋到佢咁多年嚟種種令我覺得匪夷所思嘅行為,好多都係奇怪到,即使當刻你覺得好明顯佢係有心想奚落你傷害你攻擊你,但你真係反應唔嚟,因為你唔能夠相信一個經常唔怕肉麻開口埋口話好愛好愛你嘅朋友(love bombing),會對你講同做D咁嘅嘢… 莫講話係唔係朋友,根本上係任何一個正常人都唔可能講得出或做得出嘅嘢,佢會好自然對你講同做出嚟而完全唔覺得自己有任何問題 — 因為只要佢覺得開心,自我感覺良好就得,佢冇諗過你會有咩感受,又或者準確D嚟講,佢係明知你會難受,而呢個正正就係佢嘅目的。 Narcissists are … More Surviving a narcissistic relationship: 破解假面閨密,從有毒關係中重生 (上)

真相 SPEAK THE TRUTH

回想自己被朋友的言行傷害多年後「出聲」,反被對方將所有責任推卸返去我身上,對方不願意反省或改善不特止,仲話係我過份敏感心靈脆弱,要改嗰個係我,並要求我繼續無條件無限量接受同包容佢以及其言行。即使同佢明言咗此等行為會令我唔舒服同受傷,佢都認為自己係「無心」、「講笑」同「唔記得」就唔需要改唔需要負責任,並表示「我唔擔保我唔會再有呢d言行」、「我記性好差,唔會記得自己有冇講過」、「我唔會為咗討好別人而迫自己去做d令自己唔開心嘅事」… 你諗真d佢呢d說話嘅意思,其實係講緊「你受傷你嘅事,但我保留傷害你嘅權利」、「要我尊重你,唔傷害你,會令我好唔開心,你唔可以迫我」… 反映出佢唔尊重我,係一個選擇嚟,因為當你尊重同重視一個人,你係會好自然打從心底裡唔會有此等言行同態度,你唔需要刻意去「記得」或「迫自己做」,甚至覺得咁樣叫做「要討好人」同埋會因此覺得「唔開心」。 原本我只係攞其中反映到佢對我有呢個behavioural pattern嘅小事出嚟講,只提小事係為咗顧及佢面子同感受,最嚴重嗰d我已經唔提,包括當年佢借我同另一個朋友過橋去約自己暗戀嘅男仔出嚟,將件事包裝到係我哋失戀想識男仔,佢就好有朋友心咁幫我哋搞場「speed dating」式飯局介紹男仔畀我哋識,我知道佢背後動機又見佢desperate到咁樣,所以先同朋友夾埋一齊出席純粹為咗幫佢,但一直冇揭穿佢免得佢尷尬或老羞成怒,但飯局後佢竟然係打電話畀佢暗戀對象帶出嚟嘅另一位男性朋友(即係supposed係佢話想介紹畀我哋識嘅男仔),不斷同對方講自己點樣畀前男友欺負,仲試圖約對方出街,我知道係因為呢個男仔喺飯局後就開始追求我,我係從對方口中得知… 呢件令我覺得佢好可怕,好表裡不一,成件事由一開始到佢決定打電話畀暗戀對象嘅朋友,都反覆地證明佢一直係為自己利益而利用朋友,而且食相難看… 呢件事我一直擺喺心十幾年冇講出嚟,冇同佢對質,同樣係因為唔想揭穿佢令到佢尷尬或老羞成怒,因為知道佢份人好玻璃心,唯有不斷同自己講件事未必係咁,叫自己唔好放喺心,甚至要「感激」佢介紹咗個男仔畀我識… 甚至久而久之,因為gaslight得自己太耐而懷疑自己記錯,懷疑佢利用朋友嘅行為係我自己幻想出嚟,懷疑自己怪錯咗佢,好彩嘅係當時涉事嘅仲有另一位朋友,可以證實確有此事發生過。 其實喺佢身邊,做佢朋友,一直係walk around eggshell,為咗照顧佢嘅感受而忽略自己感受,佢唔知其實心靈最脆弱嗰個係佢,我連揀事件嚟同佢「對質」都要揀最細微最無傷大雅最唔直接揭穿佢為人嘅事,我亦唔期望佢一下子可以聽入耳或改到,只係希望佢留意返自己嘅言行同動機,希望佢尊重返我,而我即使已經無法再說服自己佢呢d不斷重覆咗十幾廿年嘅言行係「無心」,但我仍然同自己講:「或者佢真係唔知」 … 但佢就以呢d只係小事為由,去話返我心靈脆弱,並將我嘅「出聲」,視為係我為咗令自己開心同自我感覺良好而對佢嘅刻意攻擊同傷害(fun fact: she’s accusing me of the exact thing she’s been doing to me),視為我踐踏佢底線,佢嘅反應同回應,加上用一個又一個嘅大話去為自己掩飾同辯護,令我更肯定佢係完全唔想尊重我,更肯定佢唔係唔知、唔係無心,只係佢選擇要咁做 - She thinks she’s entitled to the “rights” to say and do whatever she wants, even if she knows it now (or already knew) that it hurts people… … More 真相 SPEAK THE TRUTH

Speaking the Inconvenient Truth: Ending a Toxic Friendship (and all the red flags I kept ignoring)

Yes, maybe I’ve changed.But the real problem is, you never change. It’s not that I didn’t try to tell you.And it’s not that you didn’t know.But somehow you still decided that you never need to change. And after so many years you still don’t understand it’s never that people hated you for one thing that … More Speaking the Inconvenient Truth: Ending a Toxic Friendship (and all the red flags I kept ignoring)

一個女生去耕田-澳洲工作假期安全指南

最近一宗發生在南澳、兩名女backpackers被性侵及企圖謀殺的新聞¹,令人毛骨悚然,原來電影《Wolf Creek》²的情節真的會在現實中發生,對於好像我一樣曾獨自在澳洲backpacking的女生來說,其實最不想聽到類似的事情發生,也慶幸自己真的是非常好彩,沒有遇上不幸的事。 … More 一個女生去耕田-澳洲工作假期安全指南

7 Things You Can’t Miss In Brisbane

By now I’ve been to Australia four times, including a year-long working holiday, traveling through its urban cities, laid-back islands and the wild outback. Words cannot describe how much I’m captivated by this country. From its vibrant cities to the natural wilderness, this vast continent is a place of contrast and adventure. While everyone is familiar with Sydney, the most populous metropolis in Australia, Brisbane offers a different kind of beauty. Here are the 7 things you can’t miss in Brisbane! … More 7 Things You Can’t Miss In Brisbane