Still, narcissism found its way into my world — through extended family.

My dad was one of ten children, and my mom one of eight. That’s a lot of family — and it took me a very long time to sort out who was who. Some were so covert, so charming and helpful on the surface, I never would have known if someone hadn’t tipped me off. Others I suspected but wasn’t quite sure — were they narcissistic… or just difficult?

And then there were the other cast members we all come to recognize: the enablers, codependents, scapegoats, and golden children. Patterns started emerging. I began to realize why my father quietly kept his distance from certain relatives — something I never understood as a child.

Now, as a parent myself, I worry deeply for my own children. Once you start seeing these dynamics, you realize how deeply they run — and how important it is to break the cycle.

If you’ve untangled your own web of narcissistic relatives, or if you're just now waking up to the patterns — this space is for you.