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Will I Ever Be Free of You?: How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family

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“A compact but thorough guide to successfully handling and surviving a divorce.” — PsychCentral

The bestselling author of Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers draws on her expertise in treating men, women, and children damaged by narcissists in this practical guide to divorce and its aftermath.

Narcissism—a personality disorder that goes beyond mere selfishness and vanity—is a prevalent cause of marital and family problems. Narcissists do not have the capacity to love, understand other people’s emotions, or feel empathy. They are grandiose in their need for praise and attention, they overestimate their abilities, and they diminish people around them with emotional abuse. Being in an intimate relationship with a narcissist destroys your hopes, dreams, and peace of mind and erodes your children’s emotional health and your finances.

Does this sound like what you have to deal with? If you ever look at your partner and wonder in despair if you will ever be free, the answer is yes, you can be.

A leading authority on narcissism, Dr. Karyl McBride offers proven therapeutic advice that will help you protect and nurture yourself and your children through your difficult divorce, from separating from your narcissistic partner and navigating the court system, where a narcissist can be especially destructive, to a restorative healing program of trauma recovery .

237 pages, Hardcover

First published February 10, 2015

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Karyl McBride

9 books117 followers

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5 stars
147 (34%)
4 stars
159 (37%)
3 stars
90 (21%)
2 stars
21 (4%)
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6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Suzanne Sammons .
124 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2019
I read this book to help me understand how to rid myself of my narcissistic ex. I wish I had found this at the beginning of my separation to help me navigate better through the divorce. Although, nothing could have prepared me for what was ahead with my ex. I don’t feel like he is a full fledge narcissist but like many of us have some qualities and it’s those qualities that have been unregulated throughout this excruciating painful process. I did realize that my reaction through out the divorce and after math make me look just as crazy has him because I’m just so thrown off and it’s unbelievable to me the irrational selfish person he has become. He has taken full advantage of that and taken every opportunity to make himself look sane and me the crazy one. I regret reacting so much and wish I would have been more whole and emotionally able to help my son deal with the divorce. It’s been 5 years since it began and I’m finally getting some closure because of moving away. He still is fighting me in court over money and trying to find every way possible not to pay me. But I am becoming more and more whole and resilient in this long process. What this book did do is give concrete examples of how to respond to a narcissist to deescalate the situation and stand up for yourself. It also gave me a chance to reflect on my actions and how it affected my son and I was able to apologize to him sincerely.
Profile Image for April.
806 reviews
December 11, 2017
Super helpful. I got to skip the chapters about trying to decide if I should leave my narcissist husband because I already did 6 years ago. But this is really helpful for helping my children and my interactions with him now. Also just general help with defining emotions for kids and just showing them empathy. Which sometimes amid the hustle and bustle of life... happens. The best Christmas present or any present to give my kids is to help us all navigate successfully free of the narcissist in our lives! I feel better prepared and equipped to do it now. Thank you dr mcbride!
Profile Image for funda.
141 reviews
September 14, 2021
Yazar narsisistik bir ebeveynle büyümüş ve bu alanda uzmanlaşmış bi psikiyatr. Dolayısıyla bu konuda hem kişisel hem de profesyonel deneyimi mevcut. Özellikle kitabın adından da belli olduğu gibi boşanma aşamasında yaşanabilecek sorunlar üzerinde çok detaylı durmuş. Ve bu sorunlara çözümler de üretmiş. Ancak Amerika hukuk sistemi üzerinden yapılan çözümlemeler bir başka ülkenin okuyucusu için çok da anlam ifade etmeyebiliyor. 3*’ın nedeni tam da bu. Amarika’da her 16 kişiden birinin NKB’den müzdarip olduğunu düşünürsek Narsisistik istismar mağdurlarının sayısı tahmin edeceğimizden çok daha fazla. Bu nedenle farkındalık oluşturması açısından ayrı bir önem kazanıyor bu kitap. Ayrıca kitabın girişinde Narsistik bir ilişki yaşayan kişilerin farkındalığını artıracak çok değerli bilgiler mevcut. Boş Ayna kitabının kısa bir özeti şeklinde. Konuya ilgisi olanların veya bir şekilde bu bireylerle yaşamak zorunda kalanların okuması gerekir diye düşünüyorum.
Profile Image for Jo Berry ☀️.
288 reviews13 followers
August 29, 2023
A useful book for the right person. The author writes from the perspective of the American divorce system, which seems to involve a lot of lawyers, judges, therapists and other specialists, especially when you’re divorcing a narcissist. I suspect things run a bit differently in other countries however, so the information on navigating the law courts may not be applicable to all readers.

The book also gives quite a bit of space to supporting children through a separation - this is particularly problematic with a narcissistic parent, because they will use the children as pawns in their games. But, if you don’t have children, then these sections are not applicable either. As I said at the start though, for the right person this book has some useful and practical advice. However, if you wanted advice on mentally and emotionally detaching from a narcissistic partner, rather than just navigating the legal system, then I didn’t feel the book covered that very well.
Profile Image for Rachel.
1,709 reviews34 followers
April 16, 2015
Most people probably know some difficult people, but don’t know the concept of personality disorder. Nor are they aware of the combinations of traits that should send up red flags. Personally, I think empathy, consideration, and “theory of mind” (recognizing that other people have valid personalities and viewpoints) should be taught starting in grade school or earlier, and the curriculum should include strategies for dealing with people lacking in those traits.

This book focuses on dealing with a narcissist during and after a divorce. I liked it, but with some reservations. It’s useful to recognize narcissistic behavior in your partner or ex; it puts things into a context that makes sense. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to see oneself as a victim and to blame all the relationship problems on the other person. For the first two-thirds of this book, I was concerned that it encouraged the reader to do that, and it bothered me. Children are victims. After growing up, an abused or neglected child may, understandably, make a poor choice in a partner—but it is a choice. Being a victim precludes taking responsibility for poor choices. I thought the old standard Women Who Love Too Much did a better job of having the susceptible person focus on his or her own personal development and not on the faults of the personality-disordered one.

In the later chapters of the book, the author offers a lot of good practical advice for dealing with the difficult ex, the children, the court system, and therapists. The biggest focus is on minimizing damage to the children. In this part of the book, she does talk about working on yourself, with ways to approach specific types of situations. She also gives a blueprint for a pilot project that looks like it would help families through the court system.

I’m not big on most of the pop-psychology self-help books, which this definitely is. But I think it could be very helpful for people who find themselves in this situation.
Profile Image for Charlene.
875 reviews625 followers
December 14, 2015
The subject matter, having to deal with a narcissist, was great. However, the author contradicts herself fairly often and doesn't seem to notice it. It makes her advice less than optimal. In addition, unlike Martha Stout's Psychopath Next Door, which treated the reader to the full range (or close to it) of psychopathic personalities, McBride has a very limited and rigid view of narcissists. George Simon's In Sheep's Clothing also seemed to understand and convey information better than McBride. But, Sheep's Clothing was about manipulation in general. I was hoping to sink my teeth into an in depth perspective on narcissists. It is clear McBride's views are largely driven by the psych education of the 1960s-80s. She could definitely update her views by taking advantage of all the advancements made in the field. Even with its shortcomings, it was still enjoyable to read. Though, I will keep searching for a definitive book on the subject.
Profile Image for Μαρία.
210 reviews35 followers
March 30, 2019
"Συχνά λέω σε πελάτες μου, που παίρνουν μια απόφαση που θ' αλλάξει τη ζωή τους, την παρακάτω ιστορία: φανταστείτε ότι είστε πάνω σ' έναν μεγάλο κορμό στη μέση ενός ορμητικού ποταμού. Είναι ένα τρομακτικό μέρος για να βρίσκεται κανείς. Αν πηδήσετε προς τη μια μεριά, θα κολυμπήσετε προς τη γνώριμη όχθη, που περιλαμβάνει όλα όσα ξέρετε. Αν πηδήξετε από την άλλη, θα κολυμπήσετε προς ένα μέρος άγνωστο σ' εσάς. Πάντα φοβόμαστε το άγνωστο. Έτσι μένετε λίγο ακόμη πάνω στον κορμό...αλλά αρχίζετε να ζαλίζεστε. Έτσι, πηδάτε κι αρχίζετε να κολυμπάτε προς αυτό το καινούριο και ανοίκειο μέρος και κολυμπάτε σαν δαιμονισμένοι προσπαθώντας να φτάσετε εκεί. Αφού φτάσετε, κοιτάτε προς τα πίσω και λέτε: "Ήταν η σωστή απόφαση!""
Profile Image for Marilyn.
129 reviews3 followers
December 27, 2015
While I found this book helpful in the clinical observations of a narcissist, and navigating some of the legal issues of divorce, I found it a bit hopeless in the way Dr. McBride lays the path for the children and I simply disagree. I believe when a person divorces a narcissist, and maintains definitive boundaries not just against the abusive ex, but for the children, the children can grow up seeing the differences and understand one parent is warm, loving, and giving and the other is a selfish wreck. That in itself will enable the children to have a better understanding of the extreme selfishness of that narcissistic parent and to also see it is not their fault.
Profile Image for Andrea Renfrow.
Author 3 books48 followers
December 5, 2017
Helpful, but disheartening. It's good to know I have practical things to work on myself and be a proactive parent, disheartening that the author has detailed my experiences so far so accurately and the future in this department looks grim. I'm so glad I know that in addition to the helpful information in this book, the Lord provides and protects. He is our shelter in the storm.
Profile Image for Sandor Fia Sandor.
67 reviews4 followers
December 31, 2020
The author, Karyl McBride, has been practicing psychotherapy services for almost 30 years specializing in dysfunctional family issues. Narcism is one of them. Most psychologists do not even start a deep therapy session with this dysfunctionality. The reason? They do not have disease awareness at all. So it is an almost impossible thing to modify or finetune this personality trait.

It is more than a review. It is a summary of the topic for different people.
(1) The ones who suffer from a narcissistic relationship. There is a way out. Get your courage and strength, ask for help, and start the process. If not for yourself, for your children. It will be hard. But worths it.
(2) The ones who are sought by family members or friends to provide support. Please be empathic and hear them out. Try to understand their situation and support them. It is not an easy process. The victims need encouragement and reinforcement.

The next paragraphs are not about the book but the topic itself. So if you are interested in the book review only, please skip this italic part. Thank you.

So here we are. It is a massive and niche topic. Only those can connect to it who - unfortunately - directly experienced the effects of this dysfunctional daily operation as a spouse or a child. Outsiders can never really understand the effects of it. This egotistic admiration of one's idealized self-image. The grandiose sense of self-importance. The constant need for reassuring their brilliance, beauty, power, etc. Even if someone has a high level of empathy, which attribute - by the way - the narcissistic people lack, those won't see the deep of this hole.

- Why is it a massive topic?
Because everybody has a certain level of narcism, and self-love is a normal feeling. But it has a scale. And there is a level of narcism that is more than unhealthy for the environment. Unfortunately, a high level of narcism can seriously damage one's life and self-image.

- Why is it a niche topic?
It is not effortless to recognize this personality disorder, as they are charming and great manipulators. And it is so easy to fall in love with them. Moreover, the current western society embraces egoism and extraversion, so they can easily fit in.
Side note. It also has some connection with Dale Carnegie's work and his institution that formed a brand new attitude early in the 20th century. It has changed the education system and working methods. Group works, the role of communication, multitasking, extroverts as charismatic leaders, the accepted, expected and rewarded behavioral patterns. Social media also gave a further boost to it. For further details, I recommend the book Quiet by Susan Cain.

- Why outsiders can never really understand it?
Even the sufferers have constant doubts about it. People who show more narcissistic characteristics are genuinely great communicators. They are attractive and pleasing - until they can use you and your energy. Their environment loves and rewards them, and they can easily manipulate people. It is not uncommon to get different feedback from relatives:
"He or she is so adorable. He or she couldn't do it. Even if so, there must be some background reason for it."
"But he or she loves you so much. It must be only a hard day for him or her."
"Every relationship has problems. Deal with it."
"You should stand up for yourself."

- Why do people remain in such a relationship?
On the other side, there are magnificant experiences to live with a person who has a high level of narcissistic attributes. When it is good, it is not just great. It is unbelievably stunning, ecstatic, extraordinary, and wonderful. But it is also a lie.

- Why can't you do relationship therapy?
Narcissistic people do not have disease awareness. They will blame the significant other or the therapist. Or their knowledge. Or the circumstances. Anything but themselves.
So can you experience heaven? Yes. But hell as well. And there will be no balance. Ever.
The harm of living in a relationship comes from different forms. The constant rollercoaster between the best and worst experiences of your relationships. The lack of empathy. The uncertainty of yourself and your attitude. The attacks against the way of your thinking. The constant energy draining.


Book review
I have found it a unique book. It provides a lot of real-life experiences from marriages and divorces. Besides that, the book demonstrates the consequences of this personality. You can find direct tools and advice for identifying the problem, for starting the process of recovery. It also contains tips and tricks about responding to a narcissist to deescalate the situation and stand up for yourself. While the focus is on the marriages, it has direct chapters regarding the affected children. You can learn how to help them to process a divorce from a narcissistic person.

The structure of the book was easy to follow. The content is practical, and I liked the calm and pragmatic style of wording the sentences.

The last chapter is a recommendation on how to change the US juridical system for providing better support for the victims. You can skip it.
Profile Image for Karen.
684 reviews
March 24, 2023
A helpful book, although of course the sort of thing that no one wants to have to read. Narcissism is a spectrum disorder (p. 6), so there are a range of behaviors that affect relationships in a range of ways; I found McBride's frequent use of real-life stories drawn from her decades of therapeutic practice helpful in that respect. I appreciate that those examples included same-sex as well as opposite-sex couples.

McBride's primary emphasis is really on the effects on children of having a narcissist parent, which shapes the entire book. This emphasis made it less useful to me, going through a divorce without children, but it was easy to just skip or skim those sections.

I wish that I'd read the book much earlier in my own divorce process, especially McBride's conclusion that "A narcissist's perception of reality is that their way is the right way, so they are not usually able to use mediation or to compromise. Mediation with a narcissist is usually difficult and most times not worth the expense" (93). Ah well -- it was a helpful process for me in some ways, so c'est la vie.

"When you are enmeshed inside the narcissistic web, it is more difficult to separate from the strange things that happen. ... Your goal is to get to the place where you are standing outside of the craziness and looking at the narcissist's behaviors more objectively, separating yourself from his or her projections and distorted worldview" (112).

A more helpful book for learning about narcissism and borderline personality disorder, I think, is Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder.
Profile Image for Katie.
68 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2019
Even if you have the good fortune to not be married to or dealing with a narcissistic spouse, this book is still helpful for understanding narcissists in general, and I highly recommend it. The author is very educated and rational and gives many helpful approaches to dealing and engaging with narcissists. Narcissists are very confusing people - especially if they’re good at what they do and “nice” most of the time. This book answered questions for me about narcissists in my life and helped me know how to handle interactions with them, and even protect my children from them, though thankfully I’m not married to a narcissist. It’s still a problem when a family member is a narcissist... Highly recommend! Every attorney should definitely read it to be more aware of narcissism and how it can affect divorce proceedings.
Profile Image for Sarah Davis.
10 reviews1 follower
February 13, 2022
This book is a lifesaver and I wish I'd found it sooner. The observations, resources, and guidance are so important for someone trying to work with a high-conflict ex.

I finished this book in one week but I kept re-reading chapters and sections and even used them as journaling prompts to help me sort out what happened in the past, what's happening now, and how I'd like to move forward with my daughter's best interests in mind.

This is a must read for anyone at any stage in the high-conflict divorce process!
Profile Image for Yld Slr.
50 reviews
April 2, 2021
Türkçesi SENDEN KURTULUŞ YOK MU? Kitap aslinda eş, sevgili dışında narsistleri tanımaya yönelik bilgileri de içeriyor. Bu anlamda farkındalığımi arttırdı. Yazarın narsistler arasi boşanmalarda çokça görev aldığını düşünerek genellikle mahkeme aşamasında yaşanan sorunlara ağırlık vermiş olduğunu görüyorum ve kitabın sonunda bu konuyla ilgili proje geliştirmiş. Gerçekten araştırılarak özenle hazırlanmış kaynaklar gösterilerek yazılmış emek verdiği anlaşılan bir kitap.
Profile Image for Kylie.
10 reviews
February 17, 2024
I wish I had read this book 5 years ago, but it still has helped me immensely. It was very empowering for me. The best part of this book is that it is very compact and gives you everything you need to know and remember about the situation while also providing quick, relatable stories of other people’s situations. Of all the books I’ve read or started reading, this would be my first recommendation to anyone going through this.
Profile Image for Lenny Husen.
1,013 reviews23 followers
August 31, 2024
4.5, rounding up because this is a well-written book and lives up to the title. I am interested in Narcissistic Family dynamics. Divorce and its impact on children is a vital issue and touches the lives of nearly everyone in some way. I have never been divorced and experienced a certain amount of Schadenfreude hearing about some of these stories.
Highly recommend for anyone to whom the title speaks.
Profile Image for Norah S..
788 reviews
October 22, 2017
One thing I do like about this book is the "empathy games" that she suggests that everyone should play with their children. For example: show them a picture & let the child guess what the person in the picture is feeling NOT what they are doing. She said our society is becoming increasingly narcissistic. I agree completely !!
Profile Image for Jessica Wilson .
12 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2018
Excellent guide for how to navigate conflict in a divorce, how to protect yourself emotionally and legally, heal yourself and your children from the damage done, and move forward to a whole new life!! Highly recommended for anyone ending a relationship and finding themselves dealing with crazy making behavior.
Profile Image for Francesca.
659 reviews
June 18, 2018
I read this at work because I help quite a few people who have dealt with narcissists in their life.
I really liked this book because she not only talks about ways to deal with a narcissistic ex, but she validates the other spouse/parent who is the victim in the relationship.
If you have ever dealt with a narcissistic ex or know someone who has, give this book a try.
Profile Image for Kelly.
541 reviews80 followers
July 7, 2020
This doesn't pertain to me personally as much as Karyl McBride's first book, but the information here is still valuable. If you have a family member or partner with narcissism, you probably want all of the knowledge you can get your hands on to help yourself and further your understanding of how to deal with this person. She also provides several references and resources that are helpful.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
657 reviews36 followers
February 15, 2021
For anyone struggling to get through a high conflict divorce with a narcissist - this book is a must read! Ms McBride uses her 30+ years of experience counseling people and children to provide tips for others on how to manage and cope in this very challenging time. Her tips and strategies are great resources. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Lisa Butterworth.
946 reviews38 followers
July 4, 2017
A Solid book for folks who have already decided they are ready to divorce an abusive or controlling partner. Probably not a book I would recommend to folks who are not yet decided on divorce or who have not yet fully accepted that their partner's behavior is abusive and controlling.
Profile Image for The Reading Countess.
1,801 reviews57 followers
June 15, 2020
Excellent resource. If only I’d found this earlier. The concrete examples throughout made this one especially helpful and affirming. The chapters focused on healing the family were my favorite, though many of her examples were for younger children.
Profile Image for Mark Valentine.
1,956 reviews27 followers
September 19, 2021
I found her chapters on defining and dealing with a narcissist the most beneficial. Some paragraphs or sections did not apply to me so I passed over those but overall, McBride offers solid comfort and aid.
Profile Image for Jeanne Maloney.
39 reviews
December 16, 2016
This was a very good reference to get you through some hard times. I will use this book as a guide and follow a lot of the exercises to help me along the way.
Profile Image for Dana.
28 reviews
September 9, 2018
Great book. Strongly recommend for people who have narcissus in their lives.
Profile Image for Leslie Herbert.
111 reviews4 followers
March 4, 2019
Excellent source for people struggling with Narcissists and how to untangle and escape from them.
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