A Personal Case Study of Vulnerable Narcissism:Being the Target of Mockery as a Child

This essay is based on a combination of research, theory, and personal stories of being a younger sister of a brother who mocked me relentlessly when we were children, a behavior common in persons with vulnerable narcissism (Blasco-Belled et al., 2022). I show the behaviors that harmed me, the effects of the behaviors, and my gradual reckoning with the behaviors. The harm included thinking I was a bad person, fears that boys and men I like would mock me as my brother did, and beliefs that I was ugly and clumsy. I repressed these memories until four years ago, when my brother’s rage blew the lid off the repressions. I dealt with the memories through therapy, journaling, meditation, exercise, and, in general, taking care of myself. My purpose is to sensitize mental health professionals, parents, and others to the many issues connected to living with an older sibling with vulnerable narcissism. The condition is common and, in my experience, largely unaddressed because many professionals, like me, do not recognize the mental disorder for what it is and therefore do not understand the nature of the hurt that young people carry, those who mock, and those on the receiving end.