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January 30th, 2009

Pathological Narcissism, Psychosis, and Delusions

One of the most important symptoms of pathological narcissism (the Narcissistic Personality Disorder) is grandiosity. Grandiose fantasies (megalomaniac delusions of grandeur) permeate every aspect of the narcissist’s personality. They are the reason that the narcissist feels entitled to special treatment which is typically incommensurate with his real accomplishments. The Grandiosity Gap is the abyss between the narcissist’s self-image (as reified by his False Self) and reality.

When Narcissistic Supply is deficient, the narcissist de-compensates and acts out in a variety of ways. Narcissists often experience psychotic micro-episodes during therapy and when they suffer narcissistic injuries in a life crisis. But can the narcissist “go over the edge”? Do narcissists ever become psychotic?

Some terminology first:

The narrowest definition of psychosis, according to the DSM-IV-TR, is “restricted to delusions or prominent hallucinations, with the hallucinations occurring in the absence of insight into their pathological nature”.

And what are delusions and hallucinations?

A delusion is “a false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everyone else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary”.

A hallucination is a “sensory perception that has the compelling sense of reality of a true perception but that occurs without external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ”.

Granted, the narcissist’s hold on reality is tenuous (narcissists sometimes fail the reality test). Admittedly, narcissists often seem to believe in their own confabulations. They are unaware of the pathological nature and origin of their self-delusions and are, thus, technically delusional (though they rarely suffer from hallucinations, disorganised speech, or disorganised or catatonic behaviour). In the strictest sense of the word, narcissists appear to be psychotic.

But, actually, they are not. There is a qualitative difference between benign (though well-entrenched) self-deception or even malignant con-artistry - and “losing it”.

Pathological narcissism should not be construed as a form of psychosis because:

The narcissists is usually fully aware of the difference between true and false, real and make-belief, the invented and the extant, right and wrong. The narcissist consciously chooses to adopt one version of the events, an aggrandising narrative, a fairy-tale existence, a “what-if” counterfactual life. He is emotionally invested in his personal myth. The narcissist feels better as fiction than as fact - but he never loses sight of the fact that it is all just fiction.
Throughout, the narcissist is in full control of his faculties, cognisant of his choices, and goal-orientated. His behaviour is intentional and directional. He is a manipulator and his delusions are in the service of his stratagems. Hence his chameleon-like ability to change guises, his conduct, and his convictions on a dime.
Narcissistic delusions rarely persist in the face of blanket opposition and reams of evidence to the contrary. The narcissist usually tries to convert his social milieu to his point of view. He attempts to condition his nearest and dearest to positively reinforce his delusional False Self. But, if he fails, he modifies his profile on the fly. He “plays it by ear”. His False Self is extemporaneous - a perpetual work of art, permanently reconstructed in a reiterative process designed around intricate and complex feedback loops.
Though the narcissistic personality is rigid - its content is always in flux. Narcissists forever re-invent themselves, adapt their consumption of Narcissistic Supply to the “marketplace”, attuned to the needs of their “suppliers”. Like the performers that they are, they resonate with their “audience”, giving it what it expects and wants. They are efficient instruments for the extraction and consumption of human reactions.

As a result of this interminable process of fine tuning, narcissists have no loyalties, no values, no doctrines, no beliefs, no affiliations, and no convictions. Their only constraint is their addiction to human attention, positive or negative.

Psychotics, by comparison, are fixated on a certain view of the world and of their place in it. They ignore any and all information that might challenge their delusions. Gradually, they retreat into the inner recesses of their tormented mind and become dysfunctional.

Narcissists can’t afford to shut out the world because they so heavily depend on it for the regulation of their labile sense of self-worth. Owing to this dependence, they are hypersensitive and hypervigilant, alert to every bit of new data. They are continuously busy rearranging their self-delusions to incorporate new information in an ego-syntonic manner.

This is why the Narcissistic Personality Disorder is insufficient grounds for claiming a “diminished capacity” (insanity) defence. Narcissists are never divorced from reality - they crave it, and need it, and consume it in order to maintain the precarious balance of their disorganised, borderline-psychotic personality. All narcissists, even the freakiest ones, can tell right from wrong, act with intent, and are in full control of their faculties and actions.

Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.

Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

Visit Sam’s Web site at samvak.tripod.com

Posted by admin as Uncategorized at 5:46 AM CST

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Your Very Own SiteMap in 10 Minutes or Less - If You Build It Google Will Come!

Before Google can display your web page as a response to a Search Request it must index your Page. The Fastest way to get Google to spider and Index your web page is to build a Google Sitemap. Using the Following steps and some free online tools anyone can Build a Google Sitemap in 10 minutes or Less.

Step 1 Create a Google Site map Account

Google has a special area just for Sitempas. If you haven’t already done so create a Sitemap account. (google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login)

Step 2 Create Your Site map

You have 2 options to use to create your Google Sitemap account. The easiest way is to create a text file with 1 URL per line. The preferred method is to use an XML file in a google specified format. You can use the a free online tool at sitemapspal.com to create your xml sitemap

Step 3 Upload your Site map to Your Web Page

Upload the Sitemap you created in Step 2 to your web page.

Step 4 Add Your SiteMap to Google

Log In to your Google site map account and add the URL of you Site Map. Be sure and check back a few hours later to make sure it uploaded correctly.
google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login

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Posted by admin as Best SEO Resources at 2:13 AM CST

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January 27th, 2009

The Unfair Rewards in Poker: Rakeback

Quite a few betters have asked me “Why would I require a Full Tilt Poker rakeback? I play online if there is a bonus.” What will you do if one of these days you get the chance to play poker full time? There are a lot of poker players who are really upset at disregarding Full Tilt Poker rakeback however straight off the majority of them have now opted in for all the leading web based websites.

Don’t make the same error. If you are an individual that bets less than $1/$2 and just bets when using bonus payments, you could be obtaining in most cases around one hundred percent rake back considering the bonus payment on the wager. A certain leading gambling web site lately shut accounts of card players that employed the room just for this type of play. It’s anyone’s guess whether this practise might inspire a new trend. Should this happen then a rakeback deal will be very critical.

Soon you may hit tiptop form and then find yourself very rich, that’s if it hasn’t occurred by now. I was injured by an accident and came across poker whilst recovering and never looked back. That happened a couple of years back now yet I haven’t had a job since all because of online poker and of course rake back. It’s great idea to look ahead. Regard it as an investment for the future, even if you don’t believe rakeback is for you at present it for sure might end up being an outstanding option shortly, there is no risk. Should you be thinking about signing up for a new poker room you have to sign up for rakeback deals. Rakeback Deals The Rakeback Professionals web site is delighted to be associated with so many ethical affiliates.

Opting in can be as easy as visiting any The Rakeback Professionals web site partner internet site or even as simple as sending an e-mail. The partner can get anybody started without delay. You will be ready to play right away. Sign up with an affiliate via Rakeback Professionals you can always rest assured every partner will have been screened and in addition have agreed to allow Rakeback Professionals to arbitrate whatever complaints you may experience. Because we always screen our affiliates, we have had hardly any concerns and we will always act straight off to investigate each problem to to look after any players.

Posted by admin as Great Gambling Stuff at 8:46 AM CST

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January 25th, 2009

Critical Illness Insurance - The Non-Disclosure Problem

If you’re in the unfortunate position of having to make a claim on your critical illness insurance policy, the last thing you want is insensitive hassle or apparent non co-operation from your insurer. But according to numerous newspaper articles, that’s precisely what’s happening. The core problem is that before they’ll pay out, the insurer will always want to make exhaustive enquiries about your past health record. Whilst you’ll have provided them with lots of similar information when you initially applied for the cover, the insurers will now insist that all the information is rechecked. And if at the time you said you weren’t a smoker, they’ll now want this verified by your doctor.

The reasons are obvious. They’re faced with a big claim, typically way over £100,00, and they want to be certain that you told them the entire truth about your health when you first applied. This means that now you’ve claimed, they’ll crawl over your medical records in great detail checking that you disclosed everything on your application. Every small and apparently insignificant detail will be subject to intense scrutiny. The problem is that their reams of correspondence can be quite upsetting for you.

The insurers defend their procedures saying that they need to be certain that when they accepted the business, you disclosed the full truth about the factors affecting your health. They want to be sure that you didn’t cheat by omitting some information in order to dupe the company into issuing a policy when they otherwise might not, or to help you qualify for a lower premium. Either way, non-disclosure as they call it, is cheating and a valid reason for them refusing your claim. It doesn’t even matter if the information you omitted ultimately had nothing to do with the illness that occasioned the claim. The insurers position is that every piece of information you provide was used to work out your premium and any omission affects the calculation.

The insurers are particularly distrustful if the claim arrives within the policy’s first five years. Any claim arising during this period is classed as an “early claim” and the insurers are particularly watchful for policyholders who took out the critical illness insurance already suspecting that that they were already ill.

The problem is that all this intense scrutiny attracts a very bad press. If you’re very sick and distressed, the last thing you want is lots’ of questions and high-handed hassle from your insurer.

There’s undoubtedly a conflict here. If they are to neutralise the bad press, the insurance companies need to work much harder at softening the enquiry process and they must liase much more closely with their claimants. Insurers must present a much softer centre at what is a most distressing time for their claimants.

All this adverse PR has had two effects on the critical illness insurance market. Applicants have apparently been favouring insurers who publish the lowest rejection rates and others have withdrawn from making any application.

In practice, avoiding insurers who publish high refusal rates has little benefit. That’s because the published figures can be misleading. The latest figures show that Scottish Equitable Protect has refused to pay out on 28% of critical illness claims followed closely by Friends Provident at 25%. If you compare these figures with Scottish Provident at 13.7%, many potential policyholders can be forgiven for favouring Scottish Provident. But that’s not necessarily the best decision.

The problem with interpreting these figures is that the figures themselves can be distorted by how long the insurer has been active in the critical illness market. As rejection rates are highest with policies that have only run for a few years, then companies that are new to the critical illness market will automatically have the highest rejection rates. This leaves companies such as Guardian Financial Services looking good with a rejection rate of just 10%. The truth is that the Guardian has been in the market for over 15 years and has a mature book of business.

And it’s a pity that all this negative publicity has undermined confidence in critical illness insurance. In our view, this insurance plays an important part in protecting family finances but people are being deterred from buying it, leaving their family unit exposed if they become seriously ill. After all, if the main income provider is taken seriously ill, the family’s income can plummet. That means that the tax-free lump sum paid out by these policies can become central to the family’s financial survival.

Our advice is if you think you need critical illness cover press on. But be aware that these policies vary a lot in the cover they offer - so straight price comparisons aren’t really meaningful. Basic plans will cover one or more of the most serious conditions but comprehensive plans cover many more - for example:

This complexity means that you really need independent advice. There are plenty of web sites that can help you. Just search for “critical illness insurance” and make sure you can talk to an adviser before you buy.

Brokers Online are a large uk based financial website. We specialise in providing uptodate financial news which helps our readers make the right choices about their Critical Illness Cover

Posted by admin as Best Insurance at 11:40 AM CST

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Brilliant Fridges Online

If you are looking for an unbeatable deal on fridges and freezers perusing on the internet might well be a brilliant way to not waste precious time & money. Do not spend your time searching around legions of businesses in search of the very best bargains - all you need to do is simply log on and a brand new exciting universe of fridges awaits you on the web. Looking on low grade websites for top brand fridges is a waste of your time.

Still, with innumerous online shops how do you know which one may conserve your money on fridges while nonetheless ensuring you purchase an outstanding quality fridge. As best practice should you buy your fridge from a retailer on your high street then you certainly should not in reality have many notable qualms about buying your fridge from their web site, and as we all know you will often commonly grab better prices on the internet.

Thoroughly reading over a comprehensive buyers guide is always a unbeatable place to start when looking for fridges - buyers guides are regularly stuffed with a great wealth of information and furthermore highlight issues you conceivably will probably not have considered independently. These issues include but are not limited to; power consumption, additional features & storage capacity among additional things.

Don’t choose to regularly go with the cheapest offer - astonishingly commonly the first price you find on a web-site will often not include value added tax or delivery costs and once you reach the payment stage you might well be paying a lot more than you initially thought.

What date do you require it by? Not all on-line stores guarantee quick delivery and if your original appliance has recently broken down you possibly will often not wish to wait four weeks for your brand new fridge So be sure to consistently check what your estimated home delivery date shall be.

Find out the return policy - fridges are a difficult item to purchase; sometimes they look great in the showroom or on a website but when you get it to your home you realise it does not complement your kitchen at all. Therefore, you should always be careful.

Posted by admin as Shopping Infos at 6:26 AM CST

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What Is Term Life Insurance?

There are two different types of life insurance, term life insurance and permanent life insurance. Term life insurance is the easier of the two plans. This plan supplies you with death protection for a pre-determined amount of time, anywhere from one to 30 years. If you happen to die while paying on this type of policy your beneficiary will be paid the amount of money you specified when purchasing the policy. If at the end of the term you are still living your death protection coverage will cease unless of course you renew the policy. You can purchase this policy on a minimum budget and it is particularly perfect for providing coverage while your children are still in the home or while paying off a mortgage or other large loans.

This plan is merely a “quick fix.” It is similar to leasing a vehicle. You pay a lower cost for the privilege of driving the car knowing you will return it after a short period of time. However, just like when leasing a vehicle there is an option to buy. If you are purchasing term life insurance because you need protection now but can’t afford the higher payments of permanent protection in most cases you can switch your plan over to permanent protection when your situation changes (be sure to verify this before purchasing any policy). You can also look at term life insurance as an efficient means of protecting your family while using your remaining finances for savings or other investments.

Although this type of coverage is less expensive than permanent life insurance your premiums will increase at renewal periods as you grow older. Normally at renewal periods you will also be required to obtain a physical in order to qualify for the lowest rates.

There are four different types of term life insurance policies one of which is renewable term insurance. This policy will delete your need to submit to a physical when renewing your policy. The company agrees to renew your policy even if your health has declined however, be prepared to pay higher premiums with each renewal when purchasing this plan.

Convertible term insurance will allow you to switch from term to permanent life insurance without succumbing to a health exam first. Of course this convenience will more often than not come with the expense of higher premiums. On the bright side once you convert to permanent your premiums will not increase as with the renewal of the term plan.

Level term insurance presents a permanent premium for a pre-determined number of years, usually 10 or 20, and the death benefit remains the same. With this policy you will lock in a particular price for the duration of the policy. The down side to this plan is that the rate will rise significantly if you decide to renew with subsequent level policies.

The remaining plan is the decreasing term insurance policy. Throughout the term of this policy the death benefit will decrease. You may start out with $250,000 worth of coverage however for the first 10 years each year your benefit will be reduced by $10,000. The premiums on this policy will also vary over the term of the policy, it is for these reasons that this policy is not highly recommended nor sold very often.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides more insurance information and offers free money saving auto, home, health and life insurance quotes that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Posted by admin as Best Insurance at 5:38 AM CST

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January 22nd, 2009

Dealing With Depression

Depression is something that affects most people around the world from time to time and can be very hard to deal with. I have myself struggled with this problem in the past but have lately found ways to cope with this very much unwanted depression. I will write about how I go about doing this in this article.

I have been born into a family which include many members who find it hard to cope with life and are often worrying about something or other. I am one of these people and there does not seem to be a day that goes by where I do not have some issue in my mind, that is making me unhappy or stressed. I have found it very difficult to appreciate all of the things in my life which are basically good as my brain only seems to focus on all of my problems or potential problems.

In the last couple of years I have tried to deal with these what I now call challenges and have attempted to focus more on the positive aspects to my life. This has been very hard for me to do as I am a born worrier by nature as I have already explained.

What I now have decided to do is to try to compare my own life with that of other people who live around the world. As an example, in the last couple of days I have been watching the news programs on the television and have been hearing in horror about the current situation in Iraq. I am sure most readers of this article will be aware of what is going on in Iraq but a couple of events have really shocked me.

The first was a roadblock that was set up by people who were dressed up in police uniform. These people stopped a number of vehicles and dragged out the people who were in the vehicles, onto the street. They included young and old, men and women from what I have heard. Twenty one of them were shot and killed. I can only imagine how frightening this would have been.

The second event took place only the next day when fifty people were taken from their place of work and from bus stops. They were basically kidnapped and taken away in a number of vehicles. I am not sure what has happened to them since and can only hope that they are OK. This again is very disturbing and would have been a horrible ordeal for the people involved.

I am no expert on the situation in Iraq or why all of these things are taking place. I also have no idea on how things can be improved, but something needs to happen to help these people.

For me it shows me that I am very fortunate and if I ever start feeling a bit low, I then think of the people who live in Iraq and also people who live in other countries. I am sure that most of these people would love to swap places with me and if I tried to explain to them why I was starting to feel a little depressed, they would probably laugh at me.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

eradicate depression

quit smoking tips

identity theft

Posted by admin as Uncategorized at 9:07 PM CST

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January 21st, 2009

Training before Going Mountaineering Improves Enjoyment and Prevents against Serious Injuries

Every year it’s the repeat narrative. Notwithstanding walking to the office, and an occasional hike, every snowboarding season begins on those torturous first few hikes during which I am left behind in the route of more virile and better ski friends.

Being in bad shape whilst skiing it is beastly, and can be out and out perilous. To descend you need to have some extra capacity. If you are a tired skier you are more than likely to suffer skiing injuries and weariness is likely to be a contributing ingredient to accidents, for example crashes and rock falls.

Surely there’s a easier manner to begin the skiing season, and a freshly brought out 304 page book from Jennie Turner, who has previously penned Alpes Chamonix, looks to extend a resolution. While directed at mountaineers the report is largely practical to ski touring, with its strenuous climbs besides different sports.

Climbing, practicing for top results is well researched and easily read. It is a good all round manual which assembles some poignant detail. You could develop a specific cardiovascular regime or tune your existing one. Given that it’s written for climbers, thus a little of the report will be irrelevant for touring, it is unquestionably an account to acquire if you would like to do a few of the big 24 hour or multi day ski tours.

Posted by admin as Lots Of Travel Resources, Recreation Center, Sports Info at 6:07 AM CST

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January 19th, 2009

How To Buy Term Life Insurance Online

So you’ve made the decision to get some life insurance, and you’re looking to buy term life insurance online. Luckily the Internet is one of the best places to buy any form of insurance, and term life insurance is no different.

You can often get discounts on insurance online, because this is the preferred purchase method for both customers and insurance companies. Before you do purchase online however, do take some time to go over the small print of the policy, and make sure you are aware of everything involved.

Getting plenty of quotes is an excellent way to ensure that you get the best term life insurance deal, and there are plenty of websites that allow you to compare the rates of various policies. You should be careful to note any costs that might be hidden. The Internet is a great place to simplify things, but don’t get carried away by what initially appears to be the cheapest deal. Insurance policies always have plenty of fine print, and conditions which you need to be aware of.

It is also a good idea to search for feedback about the company you are considering dealing with. Independent testimonials and word of mouth are excellent ways for gaging the reliability of a company, and how easy they are to deal with. You might be purchasing your insurance online, but at some point you may have to contact them more directly, so before you decide on a company, it is a good idea to call their assistance number and test out their customer service skills.

Buying life insurance is a big step, and purchasing it online is an excellent and convenient way to save money and time. There are many satisfied customers out there who have made similar purchases, so you are in good company. Making sure that you are comfortable with the policy and with the insurance company are important steps to making sure that you have a good experience buying term life insurance online.

View our Recommended Life Insurance Company This site is simple and easy to fill out a quote and has a lot of great info about Home Insurance and Affordable Health Insurance

Posted by admin as Best Insurance at 8:52 PM CST

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Life Insurance - Do You Need It?

Many people are skittish about life insurance, because they feel that it is useless, or it makes them face their mortality, or they may arrogantly think that they won’t die. But let me reassure you, life insurance is not only useful, but also essential if you’re young or old, or have a young family. Life Insurance should definitely be one piece of your financial portfolio.

BENEFITS OF LIFE INSURANCE

1) Protects your family - If you should die prematurely a life insurance policy will give your young family and spouse a financial buffer. The lost income can be devastating.

2) For children and young adults - accidents are a leading cause of death.

3) As you get older - it can help to defer funeral costs.

Life Insurance can help fill the gaps when you or someone you love passes away, as well as, helping to eliminate the stress and uncertainty of their future.

TYPES OF LIFE INSURANCE

There are different types of insurance, which can fit each individual’s needs and situations. The different types and explanation of each are as follows:

Term Life Insurance - Term life gives you coverage for a particular period of time. (Builds No Cash Value)

Whole Life Insurance - Whole Life can give you protection for your entire life at a fixed rate. Whole Life builds up cash values, and in some cases, paid dividends.

Universal Life Insurance - Universal Life gives you more flexibility — allowing you to adjust your premiums and to increase or decrease your death benefit.

Accident Insurance - Accident Insurance gives your family an income in the event of your accidental death.

To conclude, when I was younger, I felt that life insurance was a waste of my money. But that changed when I seen the results of what happens when a father of three young children died unexpectedly. He had no insurance to care for his three children. Not only did his wife and children have to deal emotionally with their loss, but it also left them financially crippled. From that moment on, I realized the importance of Life Insurance and what it can bring to my family - a financial safety net, and for me, peace of mind.

Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and Marketing. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, affiliate opportunities, ebooks, and affordable insurance products

Get Free quotes on auto, life, homeowners, health, business insurance at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz/Affiliate_Netquote

Posted by admin as Best Insurance at 9:40 AM CST

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