From 'the Narcissist's Handbook'

Gentle reader, do not try this at home!

Of the thousands of events that come past you in a day, select a small number, and interpret them as an attack against you. Disregarding all other thoughts, construct your perception of the world in accordance with these misinterpreted scraps, and, hey presto! You are now the proud owner of a brand new Victimhood.

Don't forget to grumble, whine, and, most importantly, attack everything and everyone around you, to stop "them" (now you know who "they" are!) destroying you first. With any luck at all you will actually create the reality you previously only speculated about, thereby proving you were right all along.

Except you never were.

It's like a river that becomes clogged because of a junk trap: if the junk trap is not cleared, the river becomes entirely blocked, and all you see is the mountain of junk.

* * * * *

Until I became willing to jettison ALL my 'lifelong conceptions' (page 42, 'Alcoholics Anonymous'), I did not start to get well.