Traumatic Narcissism (1st Edition)

Relational Systems of Subjugation

By: Daniel Shaw

Narrated by: David Marantz

In Traumatic Narcissism, Daniel Shaw presents a way of understanding the traumatic impact of narcissism as it is engendered developmentally and as it is enacted relationally. Focusing on the dynamics of narcissism in interpersonal relations, Shaw describes the relational system of what he terms the "traumatizing narcissist" as a system of subjugation - the objectification of one person in a relationship as the means of enforcing the dominance of the subjectivity of the other.

Bringing together theories of trauma and attachment, intersubjectivity and complementarity, and the rich clinical sensibility of the relational psychoanalysis tradition, Shaw demonstrates how narcissism can best be understood not merely as character, but as the result of the specific trauma of subjugation, in which one person is required to become the object for a significant other who demands hegemonic subjectivity. Traumatic Narcissism presents therapeutic clinical opportunities not only for psychoanalysts of different schools, but for all mental health professionals working with a wide variety of modalities. Although primarily intended for the professional psychoanalyst and psychotherapist, this is also a book that therapy patients and general audiences will find highly accessible and illuminating.

©2014 Taylor & Francis (P)2021 Tantor

Incredible

Perhaps the most profound book I’ve listened to in a long time. The most honest and informative book on narcissism I think I’ve ever had the privilege of taking in.

Depends on interest level

This book was well-written and researched. It was extremely clinical/academic, though. The writing assumes that the reader already has a basic knowledge of psychology, therapeutic practices, and human behavior. This is an excellent source for clinicians who want to better understand the effects that the behavior of a traumatic narcissist can have on their children and others close to them. It is also an excellent source for students going into the mental health field. Although it started out slow, it was an interesting read overall.

Good content but heavy, monotonous narration

First, this book is targeted at therapists, not laypeople. But if you’ve read many self help or psychology books, you should be able to handle that. The organization felt a little scattered, and was often anecdotal, but I got a lot of good out this book.

A very insightful book

This book gave me a lot of perspective on what traumatic narcissism actually looks like and I’d like to thank the production company and DS for making it

Extremely validating

The best book so far on my long journey of reading about narcissistic relationships. Thank you Dr. Shaw.