The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome: What to Do If Someone in Your Life Has a Dual Personality - or If You Do

by Beverly Engel

Overview

While every person has a dark side, some people experience unpredictable or abusive mood swings that are more dramatic than average: the spouse or parent who is loving one minute and totally enraged the next, the friend whose personality changes dramatically after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or the person who lives a double life, appearing to be the pinnacle of virtue in public while leading an entirely different existence—even maintaining a separate identity—in private. People like these suffer from what the internationally acclaimed therapist and emotional abuse expert Beverly Engel calls the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. If you or someone you know is a Jekyll and Hyde, you know the distress, fear, confusion, and chaos that living with this behavior can cause.

In The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome, Engel explains for the first time what the syndrome is and how to cope with the Jekyll and Hydes in your life. Engel identifies the seven types of Jekyll and Hydes and discusses the specific psychological conditions and childhood experiences that can create Jekyll and Hyde personalities. She explores the damage the syndrome can inflict on those who are close to a sufferer, such as lost self-esteem, confusion and disorientation, and the stress of "walking on eggshells" to avoid conflict. With the help of questionnaires and real stories from her life and psychotherapy practice, she gives specific information and techniques to help you recognize and deal with someone with a Jekyll and Hyde personality, including how to:

• Know whether you are in a relationship with a Jekyll and Hyde

• Overcome your tendencies toward denial, self-blame, and isolation from others

• Trust your perceptions and identify and confront Jekyll and Hyde behavior

• Determine whether the Jekyll and Hyde in your life has a personality disorder

• Decide whether to continue your relationship with a Jekyll and Hyde

• Identify Jekyll and Hyde behavior in yourself and take steps for change

There is no need to suffer silently from Jekyll and Hyde behavior. With Engel's eye-opening insights on dual personalities and her powerful prescriptions, you can begin to bring the healing benefits of understanding, empowerment, and change to your relationships with others and with yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118038925
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/13/2011
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	345 KB

About the Author

BEVERLY ENGEL, an internationally recognized expert in emotional abuse and a licensed marriage and family therapist for thirty years, is the author of numerous books, including the successful titles Healing Your Emotional Self, The Emotionally Abusive Relationship, and Loving Him without Losing You. Engel conducts professional training programs and workshops throughout the United States and Canada. She has appeared on many national television shows, including Oprah, Starting Over, Donahue, Ricki Lake, and Sally Jessy Raphael, and her work is frequently featured in print media.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

PART I: Understanding the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome.

1 What Is the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome?

2 The Seven Types of Jekyll and Hydes.

3 What Causes the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome?

PART II: If You Have a Jekyll and Hyde in Your Life.

4 How to Cope with a Jekyll and Hyde.

5 Abusive or Illusive?

6 If the Jekyll and Hyde in Your Life Has a Personality Disorder.

7 Deciding Whether to Continue the Relationship.

8 How to Avoid Getting Involved with a Jekyll and Hyde in the Future.

PART III: If You Suffer from the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome.

9 Confronting and Healing Your Jekyll and Hyde Behavior.

10 If You Are an Abusive Jekyll and Hyde.

11 If You Have a Personality Disorder.

PART IV: The Jekyll and Hyde within Us All.

12 The Lessons of Jekyll and Hyde.

References.

Recommended Reading.

Index.