Moral of the Story - Ashe
When this came on the radio I stopped. Stopped everything instantly. This song says it all, and it's hauntingly beautiful and survivor oriented without the toxicity of glorified Solkholm Syndrom so prevalent in other radio songs about abuse.
Will and Grace (continued series)
Right in the feels. I love this clip so much, it is such an incredible depiction of Narc financial abuse, love bombing, Hoovering, and Triangulation, or the way Narcs pit us against the people we trust most. That it also shows Narc abuse in the LGBTQ community is also deeply relevant.
We are all in this together!
Bart and Jessica (Simpsons, SE06E07)
This episode surprised me. In a show that is renown for its stereotyping and problematic depictions of domestic life, this episode was refreshing. It offers a strikingly real depiction of narcissistic manipulation & abuse from the perspective of a boy, which is quite unusual. It doesn't name it outright, but I think we can see what is going on here (gaslighting, manipulation, desire for more supply, etc.). (Click image to watch episode)
Billie Holiday - You've Changed (1958)
A really deep and perfect expression of the feeling of the Discard Phase. Billie's work is timeless, but this one is hard to match for it's arrangement and murky emotional agony.
Take a Bow - Madonna
Along with Billie Holiday, I've played the song more than any other during recovery. I don't know the real life story behind the lyrics, but they're flooding with nods to covert narc abuse ("no more masquerade", "you deserve an award for the role that you played", etc.) Deep wounds are felt, but there is also a beautiful and melancholic sense of closure, which we only usually find within ourselves. To me, this song has a lot to do with breaking the trauma bond and finding a new road in life.
Waiting to Exhale (Movie, 1995)
What you might call a "cult classic" - this is chicken soup for the soul at its finest. A powerful story told through vignettes of four women overcoming toxic relationships and finding their self-worth. Whitney Houston specifically turned down Hollywood offers after the smash hit The Bodyguard (1992) to make this classic. Runaway hit song "Exhale" aside, Angela Bassett completely steals the show in this movie, torching a narcissists Mercedes Benz in the 1st act. (Click on Image to view Movie)