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Best 12 Narcissistic Parents Books

Best 12 Narcissistic Parents Books

The following are some of the best narcissistic parents books to help you on your recovery journey.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Signs of Narcissistic Parents

1. Grandiosity

Narcissistic parents often have an inflated sense of self-importance.

They may constantly seek attention, admiration, and validation from others, believing they are superior to those around them.

2. Lack of Empathy

Empathy is a fundamental aspect of healthy parenting, but narcissistic parents often struggle to understand or prioritize their children’s emotions and needs.

They may dismiss or minimize their children’s feelings, focusing primarily on their own.

3. Manipulation and Control

Narcissistic parents tend to manipulate and control their children to serve their own needs and desires.

They may use guilt, emotional blackmail, or other tactics to maintain power and exert control over their children’s lives.

4. Emotional Neglect or Abuse

Narcissistic parents may display inconsistent or neglectful parenting behaviors.

They may fluctuate between showering their children with affection and completely ignoring or neglecting them.

Emotional abuse, such as belittling, demeaning, or criticizing their children, is also common.

5. Lack of Boundaries

Narcissistic parents often disregard their children’s boundaries and personal autonomy.

They may invade their children’s privacy, make decisions without considering their input, or view their children as extensions of themselves, rather than separate individuals.

6. Need for Validation

Narcissistic parents typically require constant validation and admiration from their children.

They may expect their children to fulfill their emotional needs, seek their approval at all times, or act as their main source of self-worth.

7. Enmeshment or Neglect

Narcissistic parents may swing between being excessively enmeshed in their children’s lives, treating them more like possessions or extensions of themselves, or being neglectful and emotionally distant.

Best Narcissistic Parents Book

1. Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

By Lindsay C. Gibson

In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhoodBy freeing yourself from your parents’ emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment.

Related: Healing From A Narcissistic Abuse By A Parent – 7 Practical Strategies

2. Will I Ever Be Good Enough?

By Dr. Karyl McBride Ph.D.

The first book for daughters who have suffered the abuse of narcissistic, self-involved mothers, Will I Ever Be Good Enough? provides the expert assistance you need in order to overcome this debilitating history and reclaim your life. Drawing on more than two decades of experience as a therapist specializing in women’s health and hundreds of interviews with suffering daughters, Dr. Karyl McBride helps you recognize the widespread effects of this emotional abuse and create an individualized program for self-protection, resolution, and complete recovery.

Related: Top 10 Tips For Setting Boundaries With Narcissistic Parents

3. Toxic Parents

By Susan Forward, Craig Buck

In this remarkable self-help guide, Dr. Susan Forward draws on case histories and the real-life voices of adult children of toxic parents to help you free yourself from the frustrating patterns of your relationship with your parents — and discover a new world of self-confidence, inner strength, and emotional independence.

Related: How to NOT Raise a Narcissist? 7 Surefire Ways to Prevent Narcissism In A Child

4. Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters

By Karen C.L. Anderson

Inspired by her own journey, Anderson shows women how to emotionally separate from their difficult mothers without guilt and anxiety, so they can finally create a life based on their own values, desires, needs, and preferences.

The book is filled with personal stories and experiences, practical tools, and journal prompts that can be used now to experience the joy of letting go. Anderson compassionately leads women struggling in their relationships with their toxic mothers through a process of self-awareness and understanding.

Related: Top 5 Reasons Why Narcissists Target Empaths – & How to Starve The Narcissist of Supply

5. Children of the Self-Absorbed

By Nina W Brown EdD LPC

Children of the Self-Absorbed offers clear definitions of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder to help you identify the extent of your parent’s problem. You’ll learn the different types of destructive narcissism and how to recognize their effects on your relationships. Packed with proven techniques, you’ll realize that you’re not helpless against your parent’s behavior, and that you don’t have to give up on the relationship. Instead, you’ll find realistic strategies and steps for setting up mutually agreed upon behaviors, so you can fulfill your own emotional needs.

Related: 8 Stages Of Healing After Narcissistic Abuse (+FREE Breakup Recovery Worksheets)

6. Children of the Aging Self-Absorbed

By Nina W Brown EdD LPC

In the tradition of Children of the Self-Absorbed, author Nina Brown offers the first book for adult children of aging narcissistic or self-absorbed parents. You will learn practical, powerful strategies for navigating the intense negative feelings that your parents can incite, as well as tips to protect your children from the criticism, blame, or hostility that may exist between you and their grandparent.

Related: 21 Stages of a Narcissist Relationship (+FREE Breakup Recovery Worksheets)

7. Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members

By Sherrie Campbell PhD

In Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members, psychologist and toxic-family survivor Sherrie Campbell offers effective strategies for setting strong boundaries after ending contact with a toxic family member, and provides powerful tools to help you heal from shame, self-doubt, and stigma. You’ll find the validation you need to embrace your decision with pride and acknowledgement of your self-worth. You’ll learn how to let go of negative thoughts and feelings. And finally, you’ll develop the skills needed to rediscover self-care, self-love, self-reliance, and healthy loving relationships.

Related: Am I Being Gaslighted Quiz (& How To Recover From Gaslighting In 10 Steps)

8. Healing the Adult Children of Narcissists

By Shahida Arabi

Shahida Arabi’s insightful essays resonate deeply with those who have been raised by narcissistic parents. In this new essay collection, Arabi explores how narcissistic abuse in childhood can set us up for trauma repetition in adulthood, affecting how we navigate relationships, the self, and the world. She pinpoints the toxic traits and behaviors of narcissistic mothers and fathers, exposing how covert abuse insidiously plays out in these specific dynamics. She offers the essential tools, skill sets and healing modalities for survivors who have undergone a lifetime’s worth of abuse, helping them to break the cycle once and for all for future generations.

Related: Narcissistic Relationship Pattern (+ 14 Tips On How To Deal With Narcissistic Relationship Patterns)

9. Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers

By Stephanie M. Kriesberg PsyD

Written by a psychologist and expert in narcissism, Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers offers proven-effective strategies drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you reduce anxiety, build confidence, overcome self-criticism, and live the life you deserve. You’ll also find tons of practical tips to help you build healthy, trusting relationships; stop apologizing for the failures of others; and start trusting your own good judgment.

Related: How To Get Revenge On A Narcissist? (In Relationships & At Work)

10. The Origins of You

By Vienna Pharaon

In The Origins of You, Pharaon has unlocked a healing process to help us understand our Family of Origin—the family and framework we grew up within—and examine what worked (and didn’t) in that system. Unhealed pain (or “wounds”) in that Family of Origin will manifest in our adult behaviors in surprising ways, from work challenges to interpersonal struggles. But the good news: armed with the knowledge about our past, we can actually rewire our programming to meaningfully improve our relationships and our lives, right now and in the future.

11. Coping with Critical, Demanding, and Dysfunctional Parents

By David M. Allen MD

Written by a psychotherapist and expert in relationships, Coping with Critical, Demanding, and Dysfunctional Parents will help you develop unique assertiveness strategies based on the characteristics of your own family dynamics. You’ll learn powerful communication skills to help you build boundaries and put a stop to your parent’s hurtful behavior. And, most importantly, you’ll learn to advocate for your own needs.

12. Raising Resilient Children with a Borderline or Narcissistic Parent

By Margalis Fjelstad, Jean McBride

This book offers a way to intervene and disrupt the cycle of negative outcomes for children. Written by two family therapists who bring a combined total of sixty years of clinical practice with individuals and families, the book pulls no punches, giving clear-headed advice, easy to follow actions to help children, and an abundance of teaching examples.

FREE Inner Child Exercises PDF

How Narcissistic Parents Books Can Help?

Books on narcissistic parents can be helpful in various ways. They provide insights, validation, and guidance to individuals who have grown up with narcissistic parents.

Here are a few ways these books can be beneficial:

1. Understanding Narcissism

Books can help you gain a deeper understanding of narcissistic personality disorder, its causes, and its impact on family dynamics.

This knowledge can help you make sense of your experiences and validate your feelings.

2. Validation and Healing

Reading about other people’s experiences with narcissistic parents can be validating.

It can help you realize that you are not alone and that your feelings and reactions are valid.

This validation can be the first step towards healing and breaking free from the negative effects of narcissistic parenting.

3. Coping Strategies

Books often provide practical suggestions and coping strategies for dealing with narcissistic parents.

They may offer advice on setting boundaries, managing your emotions, and developing healthier relationships.

These strategies can empower you to protect yourself and promote your well-being.

4. Emotional Recovery

Many books focus on the emotional recovery process, guiding individuals toward self-esteem building, self-care practices, and establishing healthier patterns in their lives.

They may also explore the impact of narcissistic parenting across different stages of life, allowing individuals to address unhealed wounds and develop new perspectives.

Emotional Abuse Recovery Worksheets

By Hadiah

Hadiah is a counselor who is passionate about supporting individuals on their journey towards mental well-being. Hadiah not only writes insightful articles on various mental health topics but also creates engaging and practical mental health worksheets.