Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evolving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
Rules For the rest of the Site also accessible on the sidebar.
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If you want to enrage a narcissist, ask a direct question, and demand a direct answer. It will be an experience similar to a exorcism.
That’s funny & true. My dad is a former alcoholic and narcissist. I remember everything and my brother has blocked most of trauma. He now lives with my dad & gets his BS daily. Many years ago his psychiatrist told him to talk to dad like he talked to him. My dad is stunned when my brother does this. I have my dad’s personality so I don’t have issues like that. He doesn’t even try with me. Occasionally he tries to control me & I don’t take it. We all live beside each other, you can’t get away from him. I bought a family house cheap so moving isn’t an option at the moment. Plus, yeah I’m a sucker, I feel a responsibility to be available if he gets bad off from old age. I love him but not like I loved my grandparents. It’s taken my mom passing 18 months ago to realize how much he broke her. Families can mess you up! Thankfully I haven’t let his ways influence me as a negative mom & wife. I just learned fifteen years ago what a narcissist was. I just thought he was an asshole SOB, etc. The thing with narcissists they are like Jekyll & Hyde. That’s what my mom called him behind his back. People outside of family think he’s amazing. We would meet people from work and couldn’t believe how much they loved him. In my thirties I worked in the same office he had worked as a manager. I got so tired of people praising him. After a few months I would tell them, you didn’t have to live with him and you don’t truly know him. Don’t get me wrong he’s provided for me and never missed a day of work. That’s a type of love but not the nurturing type that kids need. If I needed something I could ask him, but I don’t, thankfully I haven’t had to. I can’t say the same about my brother. He’s been an emotional train wreck since he was early twenties. Now he doesn’t have a choice about living with him. He’s not very strong, emotionally. It’s funny I see so many clips on social media about narcissists. It’s light bulb moments for sure.
Phew! Thanks for the insights.
Hang in there, fren.
You’re welcome fren. I’m hanging & good😊
Thanks for taking the time to share those details with me. Wishing you a wonderful 2026.
Your welcome. I probably talk too much about my family issues. My poor husband is my therapist. He just sits and listens. It dawned on me recently after a fiasco with my dad a few months ago. Even when someone like this dies the victim is never free. You will have that baggage until you leave this earth. Of course with time you can get better. I’m nothing like the train wreck I was in high school. If a person doesn’t have a trustworthy listening person in their life I believe therapy is the way.
FYI your username also makes me think & laugh. My dad only drank Budweiser back then, way before light beer was a thing. I would drink anything in my wild days but not beer. Every time I tried beer it was gross. To this day I can’t stand the scent of beer. But I did have a really comfy white long sleeve tshirt with Budweiser across the front in red. I wore it so much the in was almost pink from fading. It was my beach shirt back in 83-85. Some guy stole it from me and ai didn’t realize until a few weeks later. I knew instantly because he always asked me for it. I think of those care free days when I see your post😆 I don’t hate beer, just like the cigarette or the gun it’s not the fault of the harm. It’s the person. However I do know addiction is a disease and don’t blame the person, my dad. I struggle daily with addiction to sugar. Most days I’m beating it. Happy New Year to you also.
When I visited Myrtle Beach in 1983 I was gifted a Budweiser Beach Towel and I loved it. I used until it was worn out.