Well, listeners, what a conversation! I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Mariana Martinez Vampiew, a strategist whose energy really caught my eye recently.

Mariana's got this incredible blend of deep academic background – she's studied psychological studies, history, and education – coupled with powerful, real-world lived experience.

As she shared, she's even got a past in cabaret, which was fascinating to hear how it connects to talking to a camera.

I was curious about what drives her work. Mariana partnered with Fahim at narcissismexposed.com because they're both fellow survivors, and they're focused on helping people heal from all sorts of toxic relationships – not just romantic ones, but family, bosses, and friends too.

They're really aware that terms like "NPD" can get overused these days, so their focus is broader, looking at toxic people, relationship dynamics, and attachment disorders.

Now, the title of the Podcast episode was "ADHD and Narcissistic Patterns", and Mariana drew some really insightful parallels.

Having been diagnosed with ADHD herself later in life, after years of building coping mechanisms, she knows firsthand how varied the presentation of ADHD can be.

She explained how, much like ADHD, narcissistic traits aren't always the obvious "grandiose peacocks" you might imagine; there are also more covert, subtle "flavours".

We got into the heart of spotting those patterns. Mariana made a key distinction: someone with ADHD might share their own story when you share yours because they're genuinely trying to commiserate and show support.

But someone with narcissistic traits might share to "one up" you, making their story seem more important or using what you shared later. It's about the underlying motivation and the overall pattern.

She also spoke quite openly about the emotional side of things, sharing her own experience with ADHD and anxious attachment.

She explained how something like Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), which often comes with ADHD, can tie into those anxious attachment dynamics, especially when navigating potentially challenging relationship patterns.

It really is a "stew" sometimes, as she put it, but something you can work on.

One of the most practical takeaways was her advice on setting small, healthy boundaries early on in any relationship – work, friendship, or romantic.

It's not about testing people; it's just part of healthy interaction. But how they react – with guilt-tripping, anger, or dismissal versus simple disappointment – can be a huge indicator of potential unhealthy dynamics and whether it might be part of a pattern like love bombing.

She gave some clear examples, like needing to leave by a certain time or setting boundaries around uncomfortable topics.

Mariana's passion for this work is clear; she wants to use her experience and knowledge to help people heal and protect themselves.

They offer resources at different price points, from free content to one-on-one sessions, because they know toxic relationships can be financially draining too.

It was a conversation filled with insights, emphasizing the importance of recognizing those behaviour patterns, trusting your gut, but also allowing yourself to remain open to healthy connections.

If you want to learn more and find support, you can find Mariana and Fahim at narcissismexposed.com, or check out their YouTube and TikTok channels under the same name. They welcome feedback and ideas, too.

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Mariana Details

Website: NarcissismExposed.com Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@narcissism.exposed?_t=ZN-8vYVHTP1PT4&_r=1 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NarcissismExposed-w9p Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/doads

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S5 EP16: ADHD and Narcissistic Patterns with Mariana Martinez Vamplew