In this episode, we hear how having an abusive mother and an absent father sent a 4.0 student down a path of limerence and narcissistic defenses, resulting in a life of failure, mental illness, suffering, and loneliness. He became obsessed with his calculus professor after she briefly was the supportive parental figure he never had. For eight years, he’s been obsessively trying to connect to her in any way possible, unable to get her out of his mind every waking hour and often even in his sleep. He dreams about her at least every other week and hopes to be able to talk to her just once more before he dies, despite a very clear message that she never wants to interact with him ever again. This phenomenon is known as limerence.
To better understand limerence, check out my series on limerence here:
In his desperation, he turned to the ideologies of narcissists and misogynists such as Andrew Tate for hope.
How can broken, unwanted men develop healthy masculinity? Is it possible to have a decent life after childhood abuse? What should one do when medication and therapy are not effective? Hear how he has tried to build resilience despite these challenges.
The biggest takeaway from this episode is that the words we say to children and the emotional support we give them determine the trajectory of their lives.
Words 💬 by Tum Ulit
Listen on Spotify:
Anonymous: Abuse → Limerence → Misogyny