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I am curious about how many people have heard of and generally understand what the term DARVO means.

Who could get a series of good conversations going about it? Because understanding the general dynamics of the ideas behind it could be really helpful for lots of people.

@cjpaloma

Deny
Attack
Reverse Victim and Offender

right out of the abusers playbook

@samiamsam Right... it's both a conscious tactic/strategy among some folks (lawyers, PR repair folks, etc. come to mind)

But the DENIAL aspect is sometimes/often(?) due to a clinical level denial --which is an impairment.

Clinical level denial is not "just stubbornness". And I suspect that's part of what makes it become so effective.

So it does add layers of complexity that some fools doing abusive crap really don't even "get" how off base they are.

It's not an excuse.

samiamsam

@cjpaloma

that level of denial is likely related to a personality disorder

personality disorders are never cured, only managed and that takes constant work and sometimes medication

my lived experience is that people with personality disorders know what they are doing and don't care to change

unless of course their behavior leads to them not getting what they want - in which case they change for a bit to draw people back in, only to abuse them again

that is a conscious choice

@samiamsam I'm a licensed MH professional: tons of folks without personality disorders go into full clinical level denial about lots of things.

People in substance abuse recovery (for example) do not do sociopathic things like steal from family members once they are in recovery.

Clinical denial is tricky as hell and -not- well understood by most of us- and it has been present in lots of people in every human caused atrocity that has ever happened.

Psychology has tons of work to do.

@cjpaloma i've been sharing this link lately because it shows how people can convince themselves of anything

it is a film that everyone needs to see right now

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspira

en.wikipedia.orgConspiracy (2001 film) - Wikipedia

@samiamsam @cjpaloma

I have seen it only once, a long time ago (when it came out), but I still remember every scene. Haunting.

@samiamsam @cjpaloma

I saw that film when it was first shown - it was utterly chilling.

@cjpaloma

boosting so people can see how this all unfolds