The Character Disturbance Spectrum

I’ve written before on character disturbance spectrum. (See, for example: Character Disturbance is a Spectrum Phenomenon.) But if all the misinformation I see on the internet and find in many books is any indication, I probably can’t talk about it enough.

Many are just coming to realize that character dysfunction exists along a spectrum. Actually, it exists along two co-occuring and intersecting spectra: type and degree. That is,  not every character shortcoming constitutes a “disorder.” And not all character-impaired individuals are hopeless cases. Sadly, however, most of what we read and hear these days – especially with regard to narcissism – tends to so overly generalize that it becomes unhelpful. And that puts all to many folks struggling to make sense of their situations at a significant disadvantage. It’s hard enough to know if there’s any hope for your situation. But it’s even harder sometimes to find the right understanding and direction that can make things better.

Getting It Right Is Important

I wrote Character Disturbance primarily to acquaint folks with the character disturbance spectrum. But I also wrote it to help folks get the right kind of help. It doesn’t matter whether you’re character-deficient yourself or you’re dealing with someone who is. Securing the right help and from someone well-enough trained to see your situaiton correctly is crucial in our day and time. Getting it right, dispelling harmful notions,  setting aside disadvantaging biases – such are the essential keys to personal empowerment.

Two Podcasts  to Check Out

The folks at Mountain City Counseling interviewd me a few days ago for a recent podcast. The saavy counselors there had some nice things to say about my work and the life-changing effect it had for them. I must say that such validating testimonials have always inspired my writings and workshops. Indeed, they’ve inspired my whole career. I hope you’ll check it out using this link.

I also have more to say on the disturbed characters whose pathology goes far beyond mere narcissism on the latest Character Matters. And I try to clarify once more what’s really behind the behaviors of the covert characters I describe in In Sheep’s Clothing and how those behaviors cause the gaslighting effect.

I’ll have some announcements on other upcoming interviews and podcasts next week, as well as information on a planned live stream of Character Matters.