Podcast by Nota Bene
19 April 2026
TRIGGER WARNING: CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE
In this episode, we meet Flawless, a young woman grappling with the effects of an intense lack of safety in childhood.
Flawless outlines the events leading to her formal diagnoses and shares a few reflections on how she is affected by the guardedness of others, revealing some of challenges of maintaining identity integrity when we haven't had the upbringing to develop it fully.
The discussion also touches on some cultural influences around levels of emotional expression, drawing contrasts between various cultural backgrounds
Flawless also starts to introduce us to some of the events which impacted her childhood., and the episode ends with a brief description of the core criteria for Schizotypal Personality Disorder.
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36:36
22 March 2026
00:00
36:59
04 February 2026
TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE, VIOLENCE AND MANIPULATION
Loksat, diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder in his late teens, discusses his why he now thinks that he is more likely to fit the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, and what it was that held him back from expressing himself.
He describes his attraction to individuals who have borderline personality disorder (BPD) and how these interactions fulfil his drive for idealisation and withdrawal.
He dives into the patterns within his relationship with his BPD girlfriend, and his hopes that understanding and working on these compulations will bring them both some resolution of childhood wounds.
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01:08:49
18 January 2026
TRIGGER WARNING: DISCUSSIONS OF ABUSE
Loksat was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) at a young age but now, having started to reconnect with his feelings, believes he's more likely to be NPD.
He talks about his deliberate manipulations of his BPD girlfriend, what her intense reactions mean to him, and how he finds safety in her acting out.
As we dig down into the details of his life, we find powerful factors which have shaped his relationship behaviours, his understanding of the world, and his experience of love.
Although the conversation initially might seem like it endorses Loksat acting in destructive ways, it doesn't. Loksat has never known any other way of being, and, as the conversation continues, it starts to become clear that Loksat is aware that he is working through his childhood traumas by recreating them.
If we, the Cluster B's who behave in damaging ways within relationships, want to progress beyond those patterns, first we need to understand them. If we are in a relationship and on the receiving end of damaging behaviour, we need to understand it. Knowledge and insight will set us free.
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58:39
04 January 2026
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55:19
04 October 2025
Ilkan comes from a country that was once part of the USSR. He shares his journey of self-discovery and recovery and reflects on the perceptions he held about his own intelligence and how distorted beliefs contributed to his narcissistic traits. Through therapy and introspection, Ilkan learns to embrace his ordinariness, allowing himself to connect more authentically with others and experience genuine joy. The episode provides a poignant look at the impacts of societal and familial dynamics on personality development.
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01:23:25