Shahida Arabi
Shahida is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University. She is a published researcher and author of Power: Surviving and Thriving After Narcissistic Abuse and Breaking Trauma Bonds with Narcissists and Psychopaths. Her books have been translated into 16+ languages all over the world. Her work has been featured on Salon, HuffPost, Inc., Bustle, Psychology Today, Healthline, VICE, NYDaily News and more. For more inspiration and insight on manipulation and red flags, follow her on Instagram here.
7 Ways To Turn On An Alpha Woman – Without Even Touching Her
Alpha women do not tend to settle down easily nor do they settle for just anyone. This is the type of woman who isn’t afraid to be alone – so if she’s spending her time with you, it can be quite the compliment. But what actually turns an alpha woman on – and captures her attention long-term?
6 Things You Need To Know If You’re Dating An INFJ, The World’s Rarest Personality Type
Recognize that when an INFJ has called you out, it’s not because they don’t care for you or love you. In fact, it’s usually because they care enough and are invested in the relationship to try to make it work. Rather than shutting down or criticizing them for expressing their needs, it’s best to find a common ground and validate their emotions.
5 Dangerous Things That Happen To Your Brain When You Fall In Love – Especially With A Toxic Person
Strangely, pleasure and pain make love a more intense and “rewarding” experience for the brain than stable, consistent romance.
10 Survivors Reveal What It’s Like Co-Parenting With A Narcissist – And How They Thrived Against All Odds
“The most difficult aspect of co-parenting is the belief that it’s actually possible to co-parent with the narcissist. Co-parenting means you both are committed to raising the child with the child’s best interest at heart. The narcissist does not have the child’s best interest at heart, regardless of how hard he (or she) tries to portray himself as the perfect parent.”
Love-Bombing Is Crack Cocaine: The Addictive Cycle Of Narcissistic Abuse
Love-bombing – the excessive praise and flattery a predatory partner showers on their prey – might as well be crack cocaine. It is a common manipulation tactic used by cults to control their members – and in a relationship with a narcissist, you become a one-man cult.
5 Signs You’re Dealing With A Dangerous Female Narcissist
The female malignant narcissist is not just vain and self-absorbed. She is also a covert bully who ensnares fellow female friends, relationship partners and family members into her toxic web.
50 Devious Habits Of Highly Toxic Narcissists (And Why They Do What They Do)
Agency, independence and the ability to thrive on your own terms is very threatening to a toxic individual. Toxic people require that their victims be isolated – success, economic empowerment and a solid support network all threaten this, so they feel they have to take back the reins on the parts of your life that grant you a sense of stability and self-actualization.
What Real Love Actually Looks Like, Because It’s Not About Being An Emotional Punching Bag
It’s wonderful to embrace each other’s flaws in a relationship, but there’s a difference between tolerating inevitable differences and tolerating toxicity. The former can strengthen an existing bond, while the latter leads to self-destruction.
11 Badass Signs You’ve Moved On From Your Narcissistic Ex
You’re no longer part of the narcissist’s captive audience, waiting to be “chosen.” You’ve chosen yourself instead.
5 Qualities Malignant Narcissists Look For In Their Victims – And How They Use Them Against You
Anyone can be a target for an emotional predator – simply being human makes you vulnerable to these toxic types. That being said, it is important to acknowledge the traits that a narcissist looks for in a target so that victims can better protect themselves and cut ties earlier on, especially when they become aware that they’re being exploited.
Why The Women Society Calls ‘Damaged’ Are The Most Powerful
The most ignorant members of society call this type of woman “damaged.” But she is the most powerful type of woman there is. The so-called “damaged” woman doesn’t sign up for the hardships of her journey – but she plays the hell out of the cards she’s been dealt.
5 Eerie Signs You May Be Dating A Psychopath
Full-fledged psychopaths appear to be rarer than your garden-variety narcissist, but there are narcissists who possess psychopathic traits. These are what we would call “almost psychopaths,” those who may blend more easily into society, but still chronically violate the rights of others.
9 Ways Children Of Narcissistic Parents Love Differently
We are hyper-attuned – to everything. Changes in tone? Check. Micro-shifts in facial expressions? Noted. Gestures that contradict spoken words? Documented. We are emotional private investigators that are highly attuned to changes in our environment. We had to be in order to survive our childhood. Due to this, we are highly sensitive and intuitive to the needs of others, but we are also constantly on the lookout for what’s about to come.
Emotionally Unavailable Jerk Or Malignant Narcissist? 5 Powerful Ways To Tell The Difference
All narcissists are emotionally unavailable to some extent, but not all emotionally unavailable people are narcissists. Here are the five key areas of difference between someone who is just emotionally unavailable and someone who is both emotionally unavailable and a malignant narcissist.
What’s It’s Like To Be An INFJ, In Other Words, A Living Paradox
INFJs are the rarest personality type and tend to be the natural targets of emotional predators. However, while INFJs are extremely compassionate, these types are ones you should never mess with. Outwardly, INFJs may not be as overly bold and aggressive as other personality types, but when they bring the reckoning, they bring it with full force.
The Truth About Dating After Narcissistic Abuse That Every Survivor Needs To Know
It’s tempting to create a narrative about a new partner and how they’ve come to save us, but we all know that sometimes the people dressed as our saviors turn out to be the very people we need to be saved from.
Online Dating Is A Hunting Ground For Narcissists And Sociopaths: How To Protect Yourself In The Modern Dating Age
Online dating gives malignant narcissists and sociopaths access to numerous sources of what is known as narcissistic supply – people who can provide them with praise, admiration, and resources – without any need for any form of investment, commitment or accountability.
Single Women Are Happier Than Society Thinks They Are – According To Research
Coupledom is often lauded as the primary conduit for happiness. New research, however, suggests that single women are no less fulfilled than those who are coupled. In fact, in some cases, they are happier.